Building Trust
by Crystal.M.Romero
Summary: The letter writer is dead and Phillip Stroh can't reach out to find another killer to target Rusty. The police detail is gone and threat level lowered. Despite this Sharon has difficulty releasing the reins of control. When Rusty makes a request, teen angst and drama ensue as does a mother's need to protect her child. Mothership is main focus of story.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimers:**  
>The Major Crimes characters are the property of TNT Broadcast is the creation of James Duff. This story was written for the pure enjoyment of the show and no profit was earned or expected from its creation. This story by its very nature is an AU as I have included a pairing that has no canon in the show.<p>

Additionally, I've taken a reviewers suggestion and made a bit of a change because I think it was a great suggestion. Thanks DV8ByDesign!

* * *

><p>Building Trust<p>

Chapter 1

"Rusty, for the last time I said no," Sharon's voice was low yet firm. Her tone held the quality that conveyed her seriousness. Despite this, Rusty continued, throwing all of his teen angst and frustration in his words.

"But it's not fair, Sharon. Provenza took care of that letter writer guy and Stroh is in solitary confinement, so he can't do that again, right?" Rusty looked from her to Andrea for confirmation.

As if realizing that the attention was suddenly turned on her, Andrea quickly swallowed the bite of dinner, wiped her mouth and gave an affirming nod to Rusty. "Yes, he is closely monitored and there is no way that he's ever going to be able to get someone else to…"

"But that doesn't negate the fact that it's still too soon," Sharon added softly, glancing at her lover. Although they had only been dating for a few months, she appreciated the balancing act Andrea tried to manage, but didn't want Rusty to think that he could play them off of each other.

"Rusty, you heard your mother," Andrea gave him a sharp glance, letting him know that they were a united front.

"She's _not_ my mother!" Rusty's statement caused Sharon to hide her discomfort behind a slight smile. When she felt Andrea's hand cover hers, she knew that the woman understood the pain his words caused. Even though she'd heard it many times, Sharon couldn't deny the sting of his declaration.

"Never the less, Rusty, I said no. It is too soon," she made sure to keep her voice low and controlled as she took a drink of her wine. This simple act helped her maintain a semblance of control.

"Oh my god, that's totally not fair!" he huffed as he dropped his fork to the plate. "I was under lock down for so long the few friends I have are too afraid to call me. It's been a month since I testified at Stroh's hearing. The protection detail is gone, and I'm still a prisoner. It's not fair, Sharon!"

"Rusty, you're not a prisoner," the captain smiled across the dinner table to her foster son. "You don't have to come straight to the precinct after school anymore, and you're back on the chess team at school. You even go out on weekends."

"Yeah, as long as it's within walking distance, and even then I have to text you every time with my location," the teen snorted before pouting.

Sharon tried to reason with him as she returned her attention to the meal, "Regardless, you have gone out to the park to play chess, you've spent time at the library catching up, and we've gone with you to movies. So it's not like you've been a prisoner."

"Yeah, but you won't let me drive anywhere. I have my driver's license and Amy said I was doing better but you won't let me drive anywhere and I can't go out with any of my friends!" Rusty's hands grew animated as he spoke with barely a pause for breath. "And besides, what's the point of letting me walk around here alone if you're always going to follow me everywhere I go? And if you do that, what's the point of making me text you? Don't you, like, already know where I'm at from tailing me?"

Shocked by his comment, Sharon looked at him sharply. The unspoken question etched her features. "Rusty, how did you…?" she began to ask, but he interrupted her.

"Jeeze, Sharon! I was living on the streets on my own. And besides, Amy and Copper also taught me how to notice what's around me. It was kind of obvious. You know for a detective…."

Rusty's words were silenced when Andrea firmly gripped his hand on the table. "Rusty, Sharon has every right to be worried. It was very difficult what she went through. We all love you Rusty, but Sharon was alone when she thought you were going to be killed by that man. Give her that much credit," the tone of Andrea's voice let him know that she was not to be trifled with. When he noticed this he visibly frowned and looked down.

"I believe I'll have to thank Detective Sykes and Copper for their excellent tutelage," Sharon found herself swirling the wine in her goblet as she stared at Rusty.

Yes, she did follow him the first few weekends that he was out on his own. She couldn't help the irrational fear she had, especially after almost losing him. It was after a few weekends that Andrea convinced her that at some point, she was going to have to trust Rusty when he was in the neighborhood. To his credit, he did always ask her beforehand if he could go out and always told her where he'd be. He even followed her rule of texting her whenever he moved from and arrived at a new location. The fact that she was able to confirm this because she had followed him was an immense relief. So in time she agreed with Andrea; there were better things they could do with the alone time provided on weekends. Despite this, she couldn't help the dread in the pit of her stomach caused by his latest request.

"If you want to go that badly, I can drive you and your friend there and pick you up afterward," Sharon tried to compromise.

A look of utter terror crossed his face and he shook his head, "No, Sharon. That's like, a totally bad idea. I can't have you driving me around like I'm a kid!"

"It's not like that, Rusty. I just think it's too soon. Why is this event so important?" she asked him for the third time that evening.

"Oh my god, Sharon, it's a marathon showing! They're going to have a full day of zombie flicks! A lot of my friends are going, and I thought it would be fun to go too," he pleaded.

"But you've seen them all before. You even own most of the movies," she shook her head, her brows creased in confusion.

"Sharon, it's not the same. Watching them here at home isn't the same as seeing them on a big screen with a theatre full of people," Rusty tried to reason. "Sharon, I just really want to be, like, with people," he sighed.

"I've told you that you could invite any of your friends over. We can even order pizza in, and if you want them to spend the night…."

"Sharon, you're not getting it!" his tension was beginning to rise.

"Why don't you invite your friend… Austin? It sounds like you two get along well," she asked.

"Ethan, Sharon. His name is Ethan. I don't know any Austin," his arms crossed in front of his chest defensively.

"I'm sorry," she apologized for her lapse. "But Rusty, I don't understand why you need to drive to another city to spend all day long in a theatre watching movies that you've already seen," she asked again.

"I've tried to explain it to you, Sharon. It's the only theatre having the marathon. It's their first one. If it's a hit, they might have it again next year. Most importantly, I really want to go. And now that I'm not on lock down, I thought it would be fun to drive myself there…but, if you don't understand it," he shook his head as he looked down at his plate.

A deafening silence that caused a slight ringing in the air filled the space between them. Sharon sighed as she leaned back in the chair, her gaze moved upward to the chandeliers. When she felt the soft hand in hers, she turned to Andrea and gave the hand a squeeze of thanks.

"May I be excused?" Rusty's forlorn request broke the silence.

"If you're finished," Sharon said and watched him get up from the table, take his plate to the sink, rinse it, and then put it inside of the dish washer. Once finished he walked brusquely past them, his head down as he disappeared down the hall. After a moment, Sharon jerked and she gave a wince as Rusty's bedroom door slammed, indicating his volatile emotions.

Sharon leaned forward, her elbows on the table on either side of her plate. She cradled her head in her palms as she released a deep sigh. When Andrea touched her shoulder she looked up and gave a weak smile.

"I've raised two well-adjusted children to adulthood, yet I seem to be failing miserably with Rusty," she sighed.

"Don't be so hard on yourself; you're doing a wonderful job with him. It's just that this is a sticky point," Andrea soothed.

Sharon saw the love and compassion in Andrea's gaze. Her understanding smile conveyed more than mere words could do. In a tender manner, Andrea reached out and slowly ran her fingers through Sharon's hair, coming to rest on her cheek. With a tilt of her head, Sharon kissed her lover's palm as she held the hand against her cheek.

"You think I'm being over protective," Sharon finally voiced what she knew Andrea was holding in.

Andrea's thumb gently caressed Sharon's cheek. She watched the pained expression in her lover's green eyes relax just a fraction as she searched for the right words for what she wanted to say. She spoke slowly, softly, "Under the circumstances, with everything you've gone through…the close call, nearly losing him to that maniac, your feelings are justified. But Sharon, now you have to begin building trust and show him that the world isn't full of monsters. Think back. Was there ever anything that you really wanted to do when you were his age that your parents wouldn't allow you to go to?"

Sharon's eyes closed as her mind instantly went to a time she'd rather forget. It was an argument that left her slamming doors and saying awful things to her own parents. At the clear memory, a slight smile broke free as a sigh escaped her control.

"There was going to be a free concert in San Francisco, up in Golden Gate Park. All of my friends were going, and I wanted to go, too. Jefferson Airplane was going to be performing," she smiled at the memories. "I tried so hard to convince my parents, even told them that my friends parents were driving a bunch of girls up there, but they wouldn't go for it," she shook her head at the memories. "I was so angry, until after they came back. Turns out my friends mother was busted that weekend for getting high. Her boyfriend had previous arrests, so he was sent up for a few years. The rest of my friends had to be picked up by their parents. The one whose parents were arrested, CPS made her grandmother her legal guardian," she explained. "I never thanked my mother for that, but I should have."

"In hindsight, your parent's instincts were right. But Sharon, honey, that was a whole weekend trip all the way to San Francisco. What is it exactly that Rusty is asking for?" Andrea's calm voice of reason asked.

"To drive himself and a friend to a theatre for a zombie marathon," Sharon answered.

"Instead of a six hour drive, it would be how long?"

"On a Saturday, probably thirty minutes," Sharon leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. After a few moments of mulling it over, she shook her head and looked at her lover. "I'm being ridiculous. I know he's a good driver. Amy spent a lot of time working on his driving skills, so I know he's a great defensive driver. I know he's a good boy. I know he wouldn't get involved in anything dangerous, and it's just a zombie marathon!" a sigh of relief escaped her control.

"If he was a science fiction geek, he'd want to go to those crazy conventions, probably dressed up as a Cylon, Borg, or something," Andrea chuckled.

At the image, Sharon couldn't help but giggle. "Oh God, do you think so?"

"Well, just to be on the safe side, brace yourself in case he wants to go in costume to this thing," Andrea chuckled.

"I'll just finish dinner and the rest of this wonderful wine that you brought and then go talk to Rusty," Sharon smiled at Andrea.

"Good, I don't like it when we go to bed upset. It makes it very difficult for me to get lucky." Andrea winked.

"Oh, I'm that predictable?" Sharon raised a questioning brow.

"Only to me, my love. Only to me," Andrea smiled as she leaned in for a kiss.

For the moment they let all the teen drama and angst disappear as they enjoyed their meal, the wine, and casual conversation. Now that they were alone, the flirting flowed naturally and both were looking forward to the night ahead. Despite this, they did take the time to put their plates in the dishwasher and clean the kitchen, something that Sharon was judicious about. More than a few times they stopped the chore to embrace and kiss. Once all the lights were out and they moved down the hall, Sharon knew that she was going to have to talk to Rusty. Even through the light pecks and tender kisses, she already knew what she was going to say. However, she wasn't sure he'd understand her fears.

"Go on, go talk to him. I'll be waiting for you," Andrea coyly smiled as she went into the bedroom.

When she walked to Rusty's door, Sharon stood for a moment before knocking. The feather thin illumination of light from under his door suddenly grew dark. With a shake of her head, she lightly knocked again and was greeted by silence. Although she couldn't hear anything, she could almost imagine him holding his breath in hopes that she'd go away. Undeterred, she knocked again.

"Rusty," she called out patiently. "Rusty, can we talk?"

After a moment of silence she heard him call, "I'm asleep, Sharon."

She shook her head and tried to stifle her smile as she slowly opened the door.

"I'm fast asleep, Sharon. Go away," his voice was muffled from under the covers.

"If you want to go with that line, you might want to not answer me so quickly," she smiled as she moved into his room and turned on the lamp by his bed. "Rusty, please, I just need to explain something to you, and I hope you're willing to hear," she began as she sat on the edge of his bed.

He pushed the covers back and looked at her through his long bangs.

"Rusty, I know you're a good driver; you've improved a great deal with Amy's help. That's not my concern at all, honey. I'm just…" she shook her head suddenly realizing that it wasn't going to be as easy as she hoped.

"You're just worried in general," Rusty finished her thought.

"Yes. And you're right; it's not fair. But, Rusty, sometimes I worry so much, I just…" she took a deep breath knowing that her emotions were getting the best of her. "I almost lost you, Rusty. And that is the most frightening thing I've ever gone through in my life," she admitted.

At her words he sat up and looked at her. His head was slightly tilted in contemplation. "Even more than with your own kids?" he asked.

"I worried about them too, don't get me wrong," she shook her head. "But with them it was different. I was afraid they'd fall and skin their knee, or fall out of a tree and break a bone, or come home in tears with a broken heart because someone they had a crush on was unkind to them. I was never afraid that a killer would target them for murder," she looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap. "Rusty, you don't know how…" a hitch caught in her throat as her voice wavered, while she fought for control.

"Sharon, I know," he said as he covered her hands with his. "I know how scared you were, and I'm really, really sorry…"

"Honey, it wasn't your fault. You were not responsible for that," she tried to say.

"Yeah, but still. It scared you so much that you, like, you're so afraid to just let me go too far out of our neighborhood, or even to drive the car. I get it Sharon, I really do,"

Sharon sighed softly, "I think it's time, Rusty. You're right, I can't keep worrying to the point where you can't go and have fun with your friends." She smiled as she held his hands in hers.

His face suddenly lighted up with a familiar smile. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes, really. But," she held a finger up to emphasize some conditions were going to be in place. "You're going to follow all the laws of the road, and you will text me when you arrive at the theatre, if you're leaving the mall where it's showing, you…."

"Follow the laws, yeah, and text you," he nodded with a smile.

"And after you drop off Ethan, text me," she added.

"Ok, Sharon, I can do that. Just like I always do, I'll text you whenever I'm on the move," he replied.

"Ah, but…." a finger rose again.

"But not when I'm driving," he added.

"Good," she sighed. "Rusty, I'm just sorry," she lightly rubbed his shoulder, one of the few physical contacts that he'd allow her to initiate.

"Ok," was all he said as the smile remained etched on his face.

"Let your friends know," she nodded toward his cell phone on the night stand. "And then get some sleep. I'm sure you'll all want to plan the whole thing before next weekend," she leaned forward and lightly kissed his forehead.

"Plan for what? We're just going to the movies," he added.

"Oh, so it's not one of those costume events?" she asked as she rose from his bed.

"God, no, Sharon! That's like, so lame," he shook his head as he reached for his cell.

"Ok, good night, Rusty," she smiled as she left his room, closing the door behind her.

"Yeah, ok, nite," he absently said as he began to click away on his cell, sending a text to his friends.

With a deep sigh she released the remaining stress away. Although she'd made note of it before, she realized how much she came to depend on Andrea's presence. Yes, as a lover, because she was excellent in that arena, but as a partner and friend as well. Andrea was someone that she could voice her fears to, someone who would not only listen, but also understand them. Additionally, she was strong enough to hold a mirror in front of Sharon when she was being unreasonable. For that she was grateful. Now that this crisis was behind them, she was going to show Andrea exactly how much she loved, adored, and appreciated her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After so many years of being alone, Sharon never realized how much she missed the simple intimacy of another. The slight touches and the side-long glances were a welcome addition to her life. Even something as simple as a kiss released a host of endorphins that often led to more. Intellectually, she knew that they were in the honeymoon phase, but she hoped that it would last for quite a long time. Of course if the past few months were any indication, Andrea was not going anywhere. Between Sharon's hectic work schedule and becoming an instant mother to a moody teenager, Andrea handled the transition smoothly.

At the soft warmth in her arms, Sharon smiled. Her eyes were closed as she luxuriated in the feel of Andrea's body. The day had gone normally with breakfast in bed, a task that Rusty seemed to enjoy doing. The fact that he was always gone when he texted her in the morning was another indication that he was aware of their need for privacy. Grateful, they fed each other, snuggled, and, often times, continued where they left off the night before. At some point they'd share a shower and dress for the day. Sometimes they'd perform the mundane task of grocery shopping together; other times they'd just spend a lazy day watching movies or reading while being wrapped in each other's arms. Today was a lazy day and rather than turn on the tv, they spent the better part of the afternoon in bed making love.

"Ummmm, this is the perfect way to spend a Saturday," Sharon mused as her fingers left a light trail over Andrea's smooth back.

"Perfect," Andrea purred.

Sharon released a sigh as she turned to her side, gazing into Andrea's eyes. "I don't even remember what it was like before."

"Me either." Andrea smiled, her fingers brushed lightly through Sharon's auburn locks before leaning toward her for a kiss.

Their lips lightly touched, then grew more insistent. Lips parted to allow the silky smooth entrance of a tongue, and, before they knew it, their passion began to rise. Before their kiss intensified, Sharon's cell phone buzzed on the nightstand. She pulled away with a smile as she took her phone and read the message.

"Rusty just dropped off Ethan. He's on his way back now," she groaned as she returned the phone to the nightstand.

"What does that give us, about fifteen minutes to get dressed, pick up the bedroom and go make it look like we've been watching movies all day?" Andrea giggled as she began to pull away.

"Just a few more minutes," Sharon pulled her lover back, holding her close as she relished the woman's body.

Time seemed to stand still as they held each other, their bodies relaxing in the familiarity of their closeness. Just when she felt a familiar stirring, Andrea softly laughed as she pulled away.

"Oh no you don't. We cannot start this again, especially since Rusty is expected in…any minute now!" Andrea exclaimed as she glanced at the nearby clock. "Come on, we don't have much time." She gently swatted Sharon's thigh through the thin sheet that covered her nakedness.

With a groan, Sharon rose from the bed and watched her lover's naked form move in the room. "Would it really scar Rusty so badly if he came home and we were still in bed?" Sharon mused out loud, but quickly stifled her own smile when Andrea cast a reproachful glance her way. "You're right, you're right. What was I thinking?" she chuckled as she sorted through the discarded clothes on the floor. She found Andrea's panties and handed them to her, then grabbed her own and quickly pulled them on.

"Someday maybe we'll do just that. But it's only been a few months, and I don't want to push that on him," Andrea half-chuckled as she fastened her lacy black bra before pulling her light blue shirt on. Once complete, she looked around for her jeans.

Sharon moved behind her and wrapped her arms around her back, pulling her into an embrace. "Rusty loves you. I don't think it would affect him, but you're right. I'd rather he not think we were in bed the whole day," she chuckled as she returned her attention to getting dressed.

"No, not the whole day!" Andrea winked at her.

Before Sharon could even reply her phone began to ring on the night stand. She moved to it and noted the caller id, a slight groan escaping her control. "Lieutenant Provenza, I hope your weekend is going well," she pitched her voice in as nice a tone as she could muster.

"It was, Captain, until we got a call. You need to come down here," his voice was somber, as it usually was when he was at a scene.

"Text me the location; I'll be right there," she said even as she hung up. "I'm sorry, honey," she found herself apologizing.

"It's alright. I knew what I was getting into when we started dating," Andrea smiled and moved closer, her arms instinctively wrapping around Sharon's shoulders. "I guess I'll just have to get used to these off-hour calls," Andrea leaned in for a kiss.

"Well hopefully I won't be long. You and Rusty will just have to start dinner without me," Sharon said, smiling as she moved to her dresser and retrieved her service weapon from the top drawer. She instinctively checked the clip before fastening it to her belt. "I promise, honey, I'll be home as soon as I can." Sharon turned to her lover, an apologetic expression on her features.

"I know, and we'll be here waiting. Hopefully Rusty had enough zombie movies for the day and won't want to see another one," Andrea chuckled as they walked down the hall.

"I'm sure you'll be able to persuade him, counselor. After all, you've persuaded me on many things, like, the virtue of burgers," she teased before pulling Andrea into a kiss. When they pulled apart, the blonde smiled at her lovingly.

"Homemade burgers are the best," Andrea echoed.

"Anything made by you is the best!" Sharon agreed before giving one last quick peck. She then grabbed her purse and turned to leave.

When Captain Raydor arrived at the scene of the car accident, Lieutenant Provenza guided her to a position where a first generation Hummer blocked her view of a new Fiat. He kept the Fiat in his line of site, explaining, "You don't want to see the driver. Let's just say it will be a closed casket."

Captain Raydor blanched and swallowed before nodding. "Lieutenant, why exactly is this a major crime?" she found herself asking the same question that always arose when called into any situation that was cut and dry.

"It's a major crime because the driver of the Fiat was a Senator's daughter," Provenza explained as he glanced over at the body that had just been moved to the curb and draped with a sheet. Now that the assistant ME had finished his examination, the body was to be removed to Morales' lab. Provenza indicated that he deemed the scene safe for the Captain's perusal.

She moved around the scene taking everything in. The blue Fiat almost couldn't be recognized; that's how badly accordioned the driver's side was. The top half of the car had been pried open by the hydraulic tool, the Jaws of Life, in order to remove the driver and passenger. The passenger was being rushed to a trauma unit. The air bags had deployed but even with this safety feature, the smaller car was no match against the Hummer that sat parked half off the curb where it had been pulled by the first responders. The Hummer's front bumper was barely dented in. Surprising to the Captain was the sight of swaths of both sides of the SUV where the original black paint was scraped off. In its place, there was a palette of blue, red, and beige, an obvious indicator that the Fiat was not the only car hit.

The driver of the Hummer sat handcuffed in the back seat of a patrol car. The middle-aged man's head hung low, and when Raydor first glanced at him, she could see the telltale signs of being high. She didn't know if he was drunk or on any other substance, and they wouldn't know until the toxicology screen returned.

After Captain Raydor took in the scene, Provenza added, "Taylor wants to make sure that everything is followed by the book on this guy, and who better to cross all our Ts and dot the Is than…."

"Alright. It looks pretty clear cut, but let's get all the info together," she agreed as she looked around the scene, trying to find anything out of the ordinary.

"At the moment we're trying to determine exactly how many victims we have," Provenza explained. When she looked at him sharply he nodded toward the Hummer. "There was a 911 call about an accident a few miles from here. Andy found a sedan ran off the road into a tree. The mother and her nine year old didn't make it, but the rest of the family was taken to the ER. We don't know what their condition is," the older detective's voice grew solemn.

"How old was the driver of the Fiat?" she asked.

"Twenty. Today was her birthday, and she was just returning home with her friend after leaving a party in her honor," Provenza's expression turned grim. "She wasn't drinking, Captain, that much is a certainty."

"My God," Sharon whispered, a slight catch caught in her throat as she fought back tears. So young and barely even starting her life, she thought as the image of Rusty and her two other children came to mind. She had the urge to suddenly call her kids, if for no other reason than to hear their voices.

When Provenza's phone rang he glanced at the caller and stepped away from her. Sykes moved toward her, her expression one of controlled compassion as she glanced at the scene. Although a seasoned officer, the younger woman was not immune to the horrors of such a scene, and perhaps this was a good sign. After her decades on the force, Raydor still found some of the things she encountered difficult to handle. In the beginning, she used to share it with her ex husband, Jack, but when it seemed he only wanted to talk about himself and cared very little for anyone else, a common trait of addicts, she learned to keep it all inside. Sometimes she'd share things with a therapist that she occasionally visited, but normally it was just easier keeping it to herself. This quickly changed after Andrea entered her life.

In the beginning, they were merely colleagues who worked toward a central goal. Eventually, they became friends. Once the friendship grew, the mutual attraction was quickly acknowledged. It didn't take long before they eased into a deeper relationship, one not only built on mutual respect and fondness, but also filled with admiration and love. Now that they had each other it was easier to turn to the other for the emotional release and support that was sorely lacking for many years.

"Sykes, take the Captain and meet up with Flynn. They have another accident scene that needs her attention," Provenza instructed the young black woman as soon as he hung up the call.

"Lieutenant, I brought my own car," the captain explained.

"Yes, Captain, but you're going to want someone to drive you. Don't worry, I'll make sure your vehicle gets to you," he explained as she handed him her keys. Confused, she watched as he gave the young officer another sharp look.

"Ma'am," Sykes pointed toward her own car before leaning in toward Provenza. He whispered something to her before she turned and hastily followed in the wake of Captain Raydor.

Sharon saw their interaction in her mind's eye. She noticed the sudden look of concern that was quickly replaced by an unreadable mask on Amy's face. Provenza glanced at her for only a split second before turning around to issue orders to the uniformed officers. As they drove down the double lane road she noticed the high presence of emergency vehicles. At one turn off the bright red glow of flares slowly burned out as the remaining officers finished their final investigation of the accident that happened to the family. Their midsize sedan was already loaded on the flatbed of a tow truck. The crumpled wreckage was on its way to the PD lab for further investigation. They continued to drive up the canyon without stopping. Sharon kept her focus straight ahead trying to avoid looking at Amy, afraid that if she did the younger woman's unreadable expression might reveal something that Sharon wasn't ready for. Only when they came to another turn off did she feel her world slowly spinning out of control.

Squad cars and a couple of fire trucks lined along the shoulder, nearby flares clearly marked the area as out of bounds. Among the uniforms were the familiar faces of her officers. Tao was already coordinating with a uniformed officer while Flynn stood next to someone near the edge of the cliff, his gaze looking down every once in a while. When Amy's headlights flashed across him she saw familiar blonde hair. As soon as Andrea and Flynn turned, they blinked and held their hands up to shield their eyes from the bright headlights. Sharon didn't waste any time. As soon as Amy came to a stop her seat belt was off, and she jumped from the vehicle. She felt a sudden numbness consume her.

"Andrea?" she ran towards her.

"Captain, I called her as soon as we knew for sure," Flynn's voice was unusually controlled as he stepped in front of her.

"What's going on? What happened?" panic laced her voice as she looked from Andrea to Andy.

"Honey, we…." She didn't let Andrea finish. Instead, she ran to the edge and glanced down.

The spot lights of the patrol cars lit up the bottom of the ravine. Beams from flashlights danced through the darkness leaving arcs of light in their wake. Twenty-five feet below lay the familiar sedan she kept for when her kids visited, the car Rusty now drove.

"Rusty!" she cried out but Andrea and Flynn both held her back.

"No, honey, you can't go down there! The rescuers are working, the incline is too dangerous," she heard Andrea's voice like a distant echo bouncing off the walls of a deep, dark tunnel.

In that instant, Sharon felt her world spinning out of control. Whatever strength was left disappeared and left her in a heap of anguish at the thought of Rusty lying dead at the bottom of the hill. She felt herself being led to a car and forced to sit in the passenger seat. She felt someone placing a blanket over her shoulders as Andrea remained close. Her lover's words of comfort did little to ease her pain, but the sound almost soothed her.

"Rusty," she heard her own voice like a soft whisper.

"Don't give up on him yet, honey," Sharon heard the hitch in Andrea's voice and knew that, like herself, tears were streaming down her lover's cheeks.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

If anyone was to ask, Rusty thought he'd be able to describe what clothes spinning in a dryer felt like. He could describe the way it felt to tumble inside of the drum, the metal clanking sound of zippers hitting against the interior drum while the outside world continually spun out of control. The only difference was the heat because he felt none. In fact, he hardly felt anything at all. Something in the back of his mind told him that he should be feeling something, but like those days back on the strip, he found himself separating, his conscious mind took a step back to watch the scene unfold. He didn't know until Dr. Joe explained that disassociating was normal. It was the mind's way of protecting itself from traumatic events. Idly, he wondered if this was a traumatic event. He knew it wasn't like anything he went through when he lived on his own, or when his mom's boyfriends hit him, yet he couldn't seem to stop the numbing sensations surrounding him.

Rusty wasn't sure when the air bags deployed, but as soon as they did, he felt it scraping against his face and neck. As the car tumbled out of control, the first thought that crossed his mind was that Sharon was going to be pissed. She didn't even want him to drive today. In fact she tried everything to keep him from driving including offering to drive him and Ethan herself. That would have been far too embarrassing for words. After a lot of arguing and a fight he thought he'd never win, she relented. So this was his first time behind the wheel unsupervised since the whole Wade mess.

Rusty was certain that Andrea had something to do with changing Sharon's mind. He wasn't sure how she pleaded his case and didn't really question the D.D.A. He was just grateful that she convinced Sharon that he could be trusted behind the wheel. Rusty didn't know when the two women started dating because, if he was honest with himself, he had to admit that, in these types of matters, he was usually clueless, especially when it came to Sharon. It was one thing to think of his mom like that because he grew up watching her with her different boyfriends. But he had never known Sharon to be like that. He wasn't naïve. He knew that at some point she had sex; after all, she had two kids. But he just didn't want to think of her like that. It made it easy for him to be in denial since he never actually saw Sharon dating. But somewhere along the line, between working together in the office, the occasional lunches, and then dinners, the two women found an attraction.

Rusty only knew they were dating after Sharon had a serious talk with him. Once she revealed their relationship, he began to notice the subtle changes in Sharon. She now went around the house smiling, and sometimes he even heard her humming. It was like the sound of wind chimes, something you never noticed until an unexpected moment of silence when she paused to contemplate something. Whenever they talked on the phone she'd laugh, and not one of those polite ones either. It was a deep throaty chuckle that sometimes brought her to tears, but good tears. Sometimes when she thought he wasn't listening, he'd hear her softly whisper things he'd rather not hear. The moment this began he'd go to his room because for him, hearing all that mushy stuff was too much. Despite his longing to remain in denial, he had to admit that since they began to date, Sharon seemed truly happy.

Even as these memories flashed through his mind with lightening speed, Rusty heard the sound of glass breaking somewhere off in the distance. Before it could register, a sharp pain shot through the left side of his face, and he could have swore he heard a popping sound. He instinctively closed his eyes even as the seat belt pulled him sharply into the driver's seat. Each sharp, jarring jolt caused his teeth to rattle. He almost blacked out, but before it could happen, an excruciating pain pulled him back to the present. No, Sharon was not going to be happy at all, and he was probably going to be grounded for life, if not longer. Or maybe he'd be lucky, and she'd just kill him and then ground him for life.

When the car finally came to a stop at the bottom of a hill, he wondered how he had gotten himself into this situation. It started on a Saturday morning, that much he remembered. The night before, Andrea and Sharon went out to dinner together. Afterward, Andrea spent the night. By the time Friday night/Saturday morning had become a routine, the situation with the threatening letters had become a fiasco, so Rusty just stayed on the balcony a lot on Saturdays. As soon as Wade Weller was dead, Rusty started leaving the condo early so that Sharon and Andrea could spend the day alone. They both had told him several times that he didn't have to leave. They finally stopped worrying when he reminded them that he finally didn't have a police escort, and did they know how little time there was left before it was just cold enough for Sharon to start asking him if he should really be spending all day outside playing chess? Andrea had started laughing immediately. After glaring at her unsuccessfully, Sharon broke down into a giggle and conceded that he had a point.

So on Saturdays, once he left the condo, he'd text Sharon that he was gone. Neither woman seemed worried as long as he texted his location in the neighborhood. If it wasn't his constant texting, he knew that Sharon could track his location from the app she installed on his phone. He initially balked at that until she reminded him who paid the bill. Although still grounded from driving, he was free to walk anywhere in the neighbor. So this is exactly what he did on Saturdays if for no other reason than to give the two women privacy.

This morning was no different except that he was allowed to finally drive himself. When he was in the parking lot, he texted them that their breakfast was waiting. He didn't want to think too much about what they did, if they ate breakfast at the dinner table or in bed, but just in case he always left a tray on the counter with a vase and flower. A part of him didn't think they ever ate in bed only because he couldn't imagine Sharon doing it. Dining tables were for eating; beds were for sleeping, she'd said. But that was before Andrea because he definitely knew that they weren't just sleeping in her bed. He never said anything, but always dreaded the middle of the night bathroom visit after overhearing them through the walls that first time. But rather than dwell on that, he just pretend that nothing was happening because, well, that's how he'd prefer to think of Sharon. He'd rather think that Sharon's happiness was simply from Andrea's company and not what they did together, and that was the story he was sticking with.

After the text message, he had gone to pick up his friend, Ethan who lived up at the far end of a nearby canyon road. Once Ethan was in the car and buckled up, they were on their way to the theatre where the rest of their friends would be. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except a non-stop zombie fest of not two or three, but four movies! Although he didn't mind the cheesiness of the old films, he always liked the newer ones because of the fast running zombies. This was always a bone of contention with Andrea because she was old school, preferring the black and white version and arguing the concept that a corpse could even run. He liked fast running zombies because the whole point was that they were fast. He also liked that the special effects were awesome even though Sharon always felt the need to point out how unreal the gruesome scenes were. She just didn't understand the movies and might never truly appreciate them, so he didn't argue with her quiet as much as he did with Andrea. Although, if Rusty admitted it to himself, Andrea liked their banter, and Sharon just found it amusing.

At one point in between films Ethan pointed to the different people in costume. Some dressed as zombie hunters, but there were a lot of zombies there, too. His friends all agreed that the next time they should come in costume and full on zombie make up! Although he did tell Sharon that it was lame, he began to wonder how hard it would be to apply the make up and instantly thought of Morales. Maybe when Halloween came around he'd ask him about zombies. Because if Morales couldn't help him look like a real zombie, he didn't know who could.

This is how his day went. A full day of eating popcorn, playing practical jokes to scare each other, and watching some of the best flicks around. It didn't even matter that they knew all the words by heart, they simply enjoyed the day. Once it was over they hung out in the mall, talking about the movies, joking about the antics, and just passing the time. By the time they parted, the sun was barely setting and Rusty was starting to feel the effects of all the sugar. After dropping Ethan at his home, he texted Sharon that he was on his way home. Then he began to drive down the familiar road along the canyon towards their condo.

Rusty couldn't remember exactly what happened. One minute he was driving, the next he was watching the world tumble around him as he was jostled inside of the car. At some point he felt a sharp pain in his head and blacked out for only a second. He knew it was only a second because the next thing he knew he was held firmly in place as the car came to stop at the bottom of the hill. Through his hazy vision he noticed his own blood on the white fabric of the deflated air bag. Rusty looked around and noticed the broken glass in the windshield. When he looked to his left he saw the spider crack in the glass and a deep indention covered in blood in the center. He groggily reached up for the side of his head and felt the wetness matting his hair.

Rusty took a few minutes to catch his breath as he fought to remember what happened. Yet every time he tried, the pounding in his head grew worse. Eventually he gave up and just accepted the fact that he had somehow managed to end up down a hill. Over and over Sharon's mantra about being safe ran through his mind, and he knew that she'd probably never let him drive again. Despite dreading this, his first thought was to call her. He couldn't explain it in words; he only knew that she was always the first one he thought about whenever he was in trouble.

After reaching down, he felt the seatbelt constricting his movement. With a shaky hand he pushed down on the clasp of the seatbelt and released a groan of pain the minute the pressure was released. He reached for the left side of his chest where the pain radiated. Tugging out the collar of his shirt, he noticed the welt that ran along the seat belt. It was already starting to turn into a bruise. Ignoring the pain he reached into his pocket and removed his cell to call Sharon. He audibly groaned when he realized there were no bars available. Wherever he was, the towers weren't allowing a phone connection.

Rusty hissed in pain, closed his eyes, and fumbled with the door handle. When it wouldn't budge, he gritted his teeth and pushed hard against the door. A combination of squeaking metal and his moan of pain rose around him until the door popped open. He fell unceremoniously from the driver's seat and managed to pull himself into a standing position. His head throbbed and he felt his left eye already closing. Rusty knew that he was going to have a black eye similar to what he had after his encounter with Daniel Dunn.

Ignoring this thought, Rusty moved away from the car and looked back at it. It was a jumbled mess of metal, the hood bent up awkwardly as smoke escaped the engine. He opened his phone and looked at the bars, then held it up, wincing at the pain. When his efforts failed, he looked back up the hill. The daunting incline only caused a groan deep in his throat. With a tired sigh, he looked around trying to place landmarks or remember an easier way to get to the top. As he glanced around he noticed a trail down a few feet and began to make his way toward it. He figured that if there was a trail, then it must lead somewhere. Hopefully it would take him to a road where he could get reception. If nothing else, maybe he'd find hikers who could help him find his way out, that is if there were any hikers still walking along the trails so close to sunset.

With blood dripping down the side of head, his left eye swollen shut, a constant ringing in his left ear, and a headache that could take even a zombie down, he began to walk away from the wreak. The only thing in his mind was a constant mantra that droned on, "Keep moving. Keep moving. Sharon. Gotta call Sharon. She'll know what to do."

* * *

><p>If Rusty hadn't been in shock he would have felt the coursing pain. He might have looked at his fingers after feeling the wetness in his hair, and the blood that covered them would have registered. But he was in shock, and, as is usually the case with shock, he felt nothing except the numbing need to keep moving. He didn't know how far he had walked when the nausea and dizziness overtook him, and all he could do was double over to barf. It felt like all of the junk food from the day spilled in the dirt at his feet. When he had nothing left, he breathed deeply as he righted himself.<p>

Rusty carefully looked around the deserted trail and up along the mountains. He saw the lights on in the houses near the edge of the hill and he knew there were people in them. Just a few steps away was help, but with the incline and rocky outcropping, they might as well be on the moon. With a sigh, he pulled out his cell phone again hoping against all hope that there were enough bars that he could call Sharon. But to his disappointment, he was still stuck in some sort of vortex, or at least that's how it felt to his addled brain.

"Sharon," he said her name out loud as if it was some magical elixir that would give him strength. When this failed, he lowered his head and began to take one step at a time. One step at a time, that's what Lieutenant Flynn said he should imagine whenever he was dealing with his mom. Everything she did and her need to take drugs was something that no one might ever figure out, but as long as he just imagined himself as taking one step at a time, then the raging anger of pain and betrayal wouldn't weigh down on him so much. When Flynn first told him this he didn't really understand him. He wasn't altogether certain he did know what the older man was talking about, but in the situation he found himself in now, it made perfect sense. One step at a time. Just one more step, and he'll be that much closer to reaching his destination, to reaching Sharon.

Something deep inside of him was confident that Sharon would know what to do. Yes, she would be furious after seeing her car. It was a mess and even though he didn't know anything about cars except how to put gas in them, he could pretty much guess that it wasn't going to be so easy to fix it. True, it was her spare car, one that she kept for her kids to drive whenever they were home. But the fact remained that she had just loosened control over him, and now this happened. Yep, she will be angry. As much as Rusty wasn't looking forward to facing her, he knew that it was easier to just get it over with. Maybe she'd only ground him for the rest of his life instead of out right killing him. Even though they never talked about it, he was pretty sure that she could kill someone without leaving any evidence. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't the one to test this theory.

He found himself mulling over a myriad of confusing thoughts. All of them lead back to Sharon and the contrast of both fear and longing that he had. He idly wondered if this was how most kids felt when they knew they had disappointed their parents, and he wasn't fooling anyone. No matter how many times he corrected people by saying that Sharon wasn't his mom, he knew deep down inside that she was the closest thing he had ever come to having a mom. At least one that was suppose to act like a mom. After seeing how his friends' parents acted, he realized that it was his own mother who was the exception to the rule, while Sharon was the way a mother was supposed to be.

Mothers took care of their children. They scolded and disciplined them, yet the loved them unconditionally. They could laugh, smile, and, yes, tease with words that never hurt. They knew when something was wrong and would gently prod until the pain was shared. This is what Sharon did. He knew it and, in his own way, appreciated it.

However, he didn't like for people to call Sharon his mom mostly because he was still grappling with the idea of what a mother should be and what his own mom was. Even though he loved her, he knew that there was something wrong. All his life he took care of her. Whenever she'd come home from a hard day, he tried extra hard to lift her spirits. Whenever she met a new boyfriend, he tried to be happy for her even though the warning signs went off in his head. In time, after being around loser boyfriends, she began to drink and use drugs. He was the one to help her through the hangovers and depression that always began when she came down from a high. This is what he thought of whenever someone mistook Sharon for his mom.

A part of him wished that he could explain this to Sharon, but sometimes it was hard to put the words together. There were so many times when he wanted to explain that he doesn't see her as his mom because he knows that he'd never have to help pick up the pieces each time a boyfriend dumped her. He'd never have to hold Sharon's hair back when she was puking out whatever she had the night before, nor would he ever have to put cold towels on her forehead because of a hangover. No, these experiences he equated with a mom were things he'd never have to do for Sharon. This, more than anything, was why he always corrected people whenever they said that she was his mom.

Sharon was more than his mom. She took him in when others gave up. She gave him food, a roof over his head, clothes, and sent him to a good school. More importantly despite everything he put her through, she loved him. No, Sharon was not his mom; she was so much more. Someday he wished he could find the right words to tell her this. At least he hoped that when she stopped being mad at him, someday maybe when he was like 98 years old, probably as old as Provenza, she'd take him off of being grounded. And then she'd be in a better mood, and he could explain it to her.

As he made his way around the bend on the trail he found himself wondering what time it was. Shadows were already covering the trail and he was beginning to worry that it would get dark before he reached the end. Before he could even look at his phone to see what time it was, he felt his foot get caught on something. He didn't even have time to look down before he felt himself tumbling over again. Except this time he didn't have the protection of the car around him. It was just him rolling over the edge, across dirt, rocks and weeds until he came to a stop flat on his back.

Rusty opened his good eye and looked up at the darkening sky. The blue hues were swallowed by a tint of orange-purple night and the first twinkling stars. As he continued to stare up, he felt his vision swirl before him before it suddenly turned black, and he was mercifully pulled into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Rusty found himself drifting in and out of consciousness. One minute he was in merciful darkness, the next he was laying on the ground, the aches and pains barely noticed. His unconscious state weaved between two worlds, images from his past mingling with the present. He saw his mom glancing up at him from the passenger seat of her loser boyfriend's car. He would never forget how she smiled while promising to pick him up in a few hours. The money she gave him would buy a ticket into the zoo and some lunch. Although he thought he knew her pretty well, there wasn't any hint that this would be the last time he'd ever see her.

This memory morphed to the endless nights of homelessness. The smell of urine-soaked streets mingled with the aroma of the food joints along the strip. The feel of the cold wall against his back as he waited for his customers, men who would return home at the end of the night to their houses, wives, and children. When his nights ended, he'd grab a burger, then try to find a safe place to sleep. Sometimes he was lucky; other times he found himself riding the bus from one end of the valley to the other until it was time for him to go back to work. He knew all of the local colleges and used their gyms for his daily showers, something that he couldn't neglect in his line of work. What few clothes he had could be washed at a laundromat. Although not ideal, it was the only way that he knew how to survive on his own.

When Rusty tried to open his eyes, he realized that only one would open. When he tried to move, a sharp pain shot through his body causing a moan to escape. When all of his actions proved futile, he made a conscious effort to lay still as he fought to focus his view. He glanced upward and noticed that the once purple sunset was now a blanket of darkness. Out here in the canyon, so far away from street lights, the twinkling stars seemed so much brighter to his one good eye. Either that, or he had injured himself so badly that he was seeing things. When this crossed his mind, he fought to remember everything that happened. He remember the morning, could even recall everything from the past week. He even remembered climbing out of the wrecked car and hobbling down this trail, yet when he tried to remember what actually led to him being here, his pounding head prevented any recollections.

"Sharon," he heard his own voice coming out like a muffled whisper. If only there was a way to call her, she would know what to do. She could tell him how to get out of this mess he now found himself in. But he couldn't call her because his phone was gone and he was stuck somewhere near the trail.

When the dirt below his back grew cold, Rusty once again tried to move. He rolled over in a vain attempt to rise from the spot, but a sharp pain in his wrist brought a whimper, and something kept him from getting his leg to move. Eventually, all he could do was lay huddled where he was. He felt the cold seep in as he lay in a semi-fetal position, trying in a vain to stay warm. As his teeth started to chatter, he noticed a distant noise like a steady thumping sound cutting through the air. At some point there was a blinding white light overhead, and he briefly wondered if this was a UFO that would whisk him away.

"Rusty!" a muffled voice sounded from somewhere nearby.

"Rusty, don't move," another instructed.

"Should I film this?" he heard someone who sounded like Buzz nearby, but couldn't figure out how he would have gotten here, let alone why he was with the UFO.

"Keep rolling, Buzz, just in case," Sanchez instructed as bright lights suddenly blinded Rusty.

Rusty weakly lifted his head, wincing at the pain.

"Rusty, I said don't move." He suddenly recognized Amy's voice.

"Rusty, relax, just relax. Don't move; let them do everything," Buzz added.

"Amy, Buzz, Julio?" he squinted his right eye in a vain attempt to focus on them.

"Hey kid, don't move. Relax, we got you," Sanchez' commanding voice ordered as he placed a hand against Rusty's shoulder.

"Just relax and let them stabilize you," Amy spoke nearby even as he heard other people moving around him.

He felt them holding his head firmly, making it impossible to turn and look around. "Oh God, Amy. I'm sorry; I'm so sorry," was the only thing Rusty could think to say.

"Shush, Rusty, it's ok. Just relax. Don't move. Let the medics do everything," the softness of Amy's words barely registered.

"Amy, I'm so sorry. I thought I was being careful. I must of forgotten something, Amy. I'm so sorry," he rambled even as hands moved over his prone form.

"Rusty, relax. It's alright; it wasn't your fault." Amy lightly touched his shoulders as someone put something around his neck, effectively locking his head in place.

"But Sharon's car, it's all messed up," he gasped when he felt them roll him onto something hard.

"It's not the only thing that's messed up, kid," Sanchez softly chuckled.

"Julio!" Rusty barely registered Amy's scolding tone.

"Rusty, don't worry about it. Just relax. We're going to get you out of here," Amy's voice sounded soft and soothing even as straps were being fastened around him. When someone touched his leg, he involuntarily screamed as an excruciating pain shot all the way to his brain. Despite the agony, all he could think about was the mess he made of everything, including Sharon's car.

"Sharon's gonna kill me. She didn't want me to drive myself today. She's going to ground me until I'm older than Provenza, and then she's gonna kill me," he mumbled through tears, completely oblivious to the movements around him.

"That's a long time kid," Sanchez chuckled.

"Julio," Amy scolded her partner again.

"Well, it is," was all Sanchez said.

A deafening scream escaped his control when someone moved his right hand, and like before his world grew dark as he was pulled into blissful oblivion. Unfortunately, it didn't last long because, as he was being jostled, his eye snapped open. His body was completely immobile. Even if he tried to move, the straps around his torso and legs prevented any movement. The only thing he could do was look through his right eye at the movement around him. A sound like wind through a tunnel was all he heard from his left side.

"There you are! You came back to us," Amy said close to him. "Don't worry, Rusty. One more leg up this hill, and you'll be on flat ground," she explained.

"Amy, I'm sorry. You know you're a good teacher. It's me; I must have forgotten something you taught me. Something just slipped. I'm so sorry Amy," his voice came out weak.

"Rusty, it's alright. This accident wasn't your fault," she tried to reassure him. He felt himself being jostled and noticed the shadows surrounding the board he was laying on. They set him down and moved around, a metal jingling sound came from nearby.

"Now relax; you're not in trouble. We're going to get you out of here and you don't have to do a thing," Amy instructed. Then Rusty heard another voice, a male voice he didn't recognize give curt instructions before counting to three. He suddenly felt himself being lifted from the ground. It sent a sharp jolt. Not one like in the car, but worse, and he released a painful scream before darkness pulled him under again.

* * *

><p>Sharon stood near the edge watching the movement below. She unconsciously gripped Andrea's hand in hers. A part of her heard everything around her. The voices through the radios giving instructions, orders from the fire chief to his crew, and, somewhere above them, the constant thumping of the helicopter blades cutting through the air.<p>

Intellectually, she knew that they were moving as fast as they could. She understood the importance of stabilizing Rusty's injuries. She was also aware that they were moving faster than her mind registered. But standing at the top watching everything down in the ravine made it feel as if time was dragging by much too slowly. As soon as she saw them carrying the backboard over a rise in the trail below, she inhaled deeply. From her vantage point, she couldn't clearly see Rusty, but the fact that he wasn't moving bore a hole through her heart.

"He'll be alright," Andrea said next to her as if trying to convince herself.

Sharon looked at her lover and noticed the tears streaming freely down her cheeks. When Andrea gazed at her, the blonde gave a weak smile as she reach out to wipe away a tear that fell from Sharon's eyes down her cheeks. "He'll be alright," she assured again.

Sharon inhaled deeply, trying in vain to reign in her emotions. "He'll be alright," she echoed Andrea's mantra.

When the rescuers reached the point directly below Sharon, Amy looked directly at her and gave a thumbs up. As they repositioned themselves around the backboard, she noticed Amy leaning over Rusty, smiling and speaking words she could not hear. When they lifted Rusty in unison, his pain-filled scream reached where she stood, and it was all Sharon could do to keep from running down to him.

"Oh. God! He's hurt," she spoke more to hear her own voice.

Andrea shook her head before turning to her. For the first time, the blonde had nothing to say. Instead, she just held Sharon close as they watched the slow and careful progression of the rescuers. When they felt a group behind them, a slight touch against her shoulder drew Andrea's attention to two paramedics waiting with a gurney and first aid equipment.

"Come on, honey. Let's give them room," Andrea whispered as she guided Sharon away from the edge.

"It's good that he was talking, right?" Sharon asked her lover for confirmation.

"He wasn't out here too long. These medics will take care of him," Andrea assured.

As soon as the backboard was brought up, other rescuers stepped forward to help bring it the rest of the way up. Only when they brought Rusty to street level did Sharon see the extent of his injuries. A shocked gasp escaped her control as soon as she laid eyes on her son. Rusty's face was smeared with so much blood. The bandage wrapped around his forehead had more blood soaking through it. His left ear was covered with a large gauze that had a two inch diameter stain of blood where his ear would be. His left eye had swollen worse than the time Daniel Dunn beat him, and his nose was swollen. If his face was not covered with blood, she would have seen numerous abrasions and scratches on it. His right arm was in a splint as was his left leg.

Over all, she had never seen any of her kids hurt this badly. Had she been trying to hold herself together, she would have thrown up what little food she was holding down. Looking at his battered body, she honestly wondered if they'd be hooking her up to an EKG unit soon, just to make sure she didn't have a heart attack.

"Let's get him going." A dark-haired paramedic turned to his partner who began to help roll the gurney through the crowd. "Ma'am, would you like to join your son and ride in the bus with us?" he called over his shoulder to Sharon.

Sharon automatically began following but remembered Andrea by her side. She felt conflicted, both wanting to be with Rusty, yet not wanting to leave Andrea behind. Thankfully, the other paramedic spoke up to Andrea, "Ma'am, you can ride with me up front if you like."

"Ok, alright. Sharon, I'll be up front; we'll be with him," Andrea called before disappearing around to the passenger side of the ambulance.

"Sharon?" Rusty's voice, although weak was a welcome sign.

"Honey, I'm here," she spoke softly as she climbed into the ambulance next to him. She made sure to give the medic as much room as he needed while lightly clasping Rusty's uninjured hand.

"Sharon, I'm sorry!" he cried as he tried to focus on her.

"Rusty, its ok. You have nothing to be sorry about."

"But your car, you didn't want me to drive. I should have listened to you. I'm sorry Sharon; I'm so sorry!" his words were laced with guilt and pain.

"Honey, I know. But it wasn't your fault," Sharon tried to reassure her son. When he didn't reply, she looked closely at him. The medic already had an IV hooked up and was administering fluid. When Rusty's right eye lash fluttered, she released the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Sharon?"

"Yes, honey, I'm here. You'll be fine," she kept her hold on his hand.

"I'm so sorry, Sharon," he began the litany again.

Sharon looked at the paramedic in confusion.

"It's the concussion, Ma'am," he spoke softly, so low that she had to lean toward him to hear his words. "Just keep talking to him," he instructed.

"Rusty, honey, it's ok," she assured again.

"Rusty, is there anything that hurts?" the medic asked as he continued to work on Rusty while monitoring his vitals.

"Dude, what doesn't hurt?" the teen groaned.

There was a small part of her that was relieved to hear the familiar petulance in his voice. Sharon couldn't help but smile even as she felt her heart beating uncontrollably. The fear of losing him was still at the forefront of her mind but if he had enough strength to give this retort, she held hope that his injuries were not severe.

"I'm sorry, Sharon. I'm so sorry," he softly repeated before drifting into unconsciousness.

"Baby, don't worry," she whispered, not at all certain if he heard her.

While it seemed to take forever to bring Rusty up from the ravine, before Sharon even realized they were at the hospital, the bus came to a brisk stop. Immediately, the back doors were popped open. When she looked out she was surprised to see Dr. Morales standing in hospital greens with other medical staff. At her shocked expression he just raised an eyebrow.

"What? Do you honestly think I wouldn't be here to make sure he gets the best care?" the coroner asked as the nurses and medics pulled the gurney from the ambulance. He helped her down as soon as the EMTs were clear.

"Thank you," was all Sharon could say as she quickly followed them into the ER.

* * *

><p>Rusty woke up to see ceiling lights scrolling above his vision. Just seeing the flashing lights made him want to throw up. He had a raging headache and a ringing in his left ear. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't open his left eye. To make matters worse, every time the gurney was jostled, a pain shot through his leg and wrist. Groaning, he closed his eyes against the bright ceiling lights. "What going on?" he grimaced as he tried to move, but felt restraints holding him down.<p>

"Rusty, honey, you're going to be fine now," Sharon's voice came from somewhere behind him even as he felt himself being pulled back into darkness.

When a shuddering motion jarred him awake, he groaned again, opening his good eye. The noises around him were blaring, the lights too bright. After blinking a few times he was able to focus on the nearest person and he instantly recognized Dr. Morales. He was in green scrubs, but didn't have the usual sleeved apron on over them.

When the man noticed Rusty, he smiled. "Don't worry Rusty. You're going to be fine."

"Dr. Morales?" despite the pounding in his head, Rusty tried to make sense of everything.

"Yes?"

"Am I dead?" he asked. His question seemed to bring soft chuckles from people in the room. Rusty tried to turn to see them, but couldn't move.

"I'll have you know that even though most of my patients are dead, I'm perfectly qualified to work on living people," he smiled.

"Then I'm not dead?" Rusty asked again.

"No, you're not," Morales smiled before moving away to issue orders.

"Rusty honey, you're not dead, baby. You're hurt, but you'll be alright," Sharon came into view next to him. She was leaning over him, her fingers lightly touching his forehead in a soothing manner.

It was then that he felt what the people were doing around him. Hands were moving over his body. When he felt a cool breeze against his skin, he realized that they were cutting away his clothes. Panic filled him as he glanced at Sharon. "What, what's going on? What the hell!" he fought against their touches.

"Relax, Rusty, just relax. We need to get your clothes off so we can see the damage," Dr. Morales explained.

"No, not while Sharon's here," he tried to yell but only groaned.

"Rusty, it's ok. I'm here for you," Sharon smiled down at him as she brushed the back of her fingers against his cheek.

"Honey, you don't have anything that your mother hasn't already seen," a woman's deep voice said nearby.

"Sharon is NOT my mother!" he growled as he tried to break free.

He saw her face flinch as though she had been slapped before she quickly schooled her features. "Ok, Rusty, all right. I'm going to be waiting right outside. I'll be here the whole time, and if you need me, just ask someone to get me, ok?" her heard her say as a calmness fell over him.

"It's working now; he'll be more relaxed," Morales said to someone. "Sharon, I'll come and get you as soon as I can," Morales voice sounded mechanical to Rusty, almost as if he was talking through a metal pipe.

As he felt himself floating, he heard the voices around him. Medical words he didn't want to think about floated in the air even as hands worked on him. Questions were asked, and, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was answering them. He didn't like being out of control. He especially didn't like that they, in all likelihood, had him naked. But what he mostly didn't like was anyone referring to Sharon as his mother. Even in his battered and confused state, a part of him knew that she was so much more than just his mother.


	5. Chapter 5

Note to Readers: This chapter is not meant to slam the foster care system, I'm simply drawing on my own experiences as a former foster mom in the Santa Clara County in Calif. Even though it was a wonderful experience and I wouldn't go back in time and chose not to be a foster mom, the system has flaws when it comes to the medical care of it's children.

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

With Andrea's hand in hers, Sharon sat silently in the waiting room. She found it hard to remove the image of Rusty's battered and bloody face from her mind. She would be lying if she said she didn't fear the worst. In fact, all she could think about was any number of injuries he might have sustained. Head trauma was a certainty, especially with him continually repeating the same thing. Yet the logical part of her reminded herself that he was able to put a sentence together, and he did try to fight especially when the nurses tried to remove his clothes. The fact that he had enough reason to be embarrassed around her and enough strength to fight against them was a good sign. At least she hoped it was.

She felt Andrea reach over to tuck a lock of auburn hair behind her ear. Turning her head slightly to the blonde, Sharon dropped her gaze when she saw the quiet regard she was being given. Long moments passed before Andrea lifted their joined hands and placed a kiss on her fingers. The gesture made Sharon look at her. She could see the tenderness within the blue eyes.

Andrea gently squeezed Sharon's hand as she spoke in a soft voice, "You're so good at hiding the things that affect you. You needed to in FID to keep people at a distance, but you don't need to hide from me, sweetheart."

She saw Sharon's brow furrow. Turning toward her, Andrea continued, "I know what Rusty said in there hurt you. I saw it. It's okay to feel that way, and it's okay to show it."

Sharon felt a burning in her throat and blinked repeatedly to hold back a fresh wave of tears. She shook her head. "I should have…."

Sharon's words died when she saw something in Andrea's eyes. It wasn't admonishment, rather an openness, a quiet and caring support. It said, "I'm here for you." She had almost forgotten what it was like to see that look. Yes, instinctually she knew she must have had that same expression on her face countless times for all three of her children, but she had certainly never seen it in Jack's face. Her mother and grandmother wore similar expressions at those times when she was a little girl and the world had seemed big and unfair. Now, like then, she suddenly wanted to crawl into a warm embrace.

She gave a sigh and let her shoulders slump. Nodding, she tried to explain, "We get along so well most of the time now. But then something like that happens, and I feel like I'm back at the beginning with him." She shook her head sadly, "Even if it's just for a moment."

Andrea gave a small nod and reached out to catch a tear as Sharon's breath suddenly hitched, "What if she comes back? His mother."

Andrea rubbed her hands on the other woman's upper arms. Her voice exuded confidence, "Sharon, you're his legal guardian. Even if his mother comes back, and she hasn't, nothing will change without warning." She lifted Sharon's chin to capture her gaze. She wanted to make sure she was being listened to, "Look at how many times in the past few months Rusty has chosen to stay with you, even at the cost of more and more of his freedom. That has to mean something."

"I'm scared I'll…. I'm just scared," Sharon whispered.

"I know." She mouthed a silent, "C'mere" as she tugged Sharon into her arms. After pressing her lips to her lover's temple, Andrea guided her to snuggle against her chest. She softly ran her fingers through the auburn hair and settled into the hard chair as well as she could. Her left arm wrapped protectively around Sharon. There was nothing else to do but wait for the doctors to run their tests on Rusty.

When Andrea pulled her close, Sharon had wrapped her arms around the blonde's waist. She held on tightly and cried silent tears. Soon, though, the fingers that stroked through her hair in time to the rise and fall of Andrea's breathing relaxed her. She didn't fall asleep, but she let herself be lulled into a trance.

When Andrea felt Sharon was, at least temporarily, in a better space, she let her voice pull at her lover's attention, "Maybe when we get him home and he's feeling better, we should have a talk with him." Lifting her head up, Sharon noticed Andrea's deadpan expression turn her way. Andrea's voice broke through the silence again, "We really need to explain about lesbians and let him know that we're not interested in his boy parts."

Sharon could only stare at the blonde, surprised and shocked that Andrea would word it this way. When her lover arched a questioning brow and her lips turned slightly upward in a smile, Sharon realized Andrea's comment was meant to lighten the mood. At the absurdity of it, Sharon released a deep, guttural laugh which caused Andrea to follow suit. All of the stress and tensions of the past few hours came spilling out. Sharon felt herself laughing so hard that the plastic chair below her shook with the force of a small earthquake. When she looked around and noticed other family members glancing their way, she fought to control her fits of laughter as she wiped away tears. Andrea, equally aware, quickly turned away. Her lips grew thin in a valiant attempt to stifle her giggles.

"Well, I'm glad some people are having a good time," Dr. Morales' voice caught their attention.

"Rusty?" Sharon was on her feet, standing in front of her colleague.

"How is he?" Andrea asked beside her, all levity gone.

A slight smile crossed Dr. Morales' lips as he waved them to silence. "Come with me, and I'll go over what we know so far," he instructed as he led them back into the ER and to a private office. "Please, have a seat," he indicated two chairs in front of a monitor. "Now, I ordered a full battery of tests including CT and x-rays. The good news is, no internal injuries," Morales began to explain as he pointed to areas on the screen, indicating points of concern. "He has an ACL injury to the left knee and he'll have to wear a brace. His right wrist is broken and splinted for now. But once the swelling goes down in a few days to a week, he'll need surgery and will have to have a cast put on. I believe these injuries happened outside of the car, perhaps the spill he took off the trail that Amy told me about," Morales continued to outline the injuries.

Sharon suddenly felt a numbing veil fall over her senses. She saw her friend talking, his lips were moving even as he was pointing out things on the x-ray and MRI. Her eyes just kept flitting from image to image, seeing the injuries her friend had pointed out. When she glanced at Andrea, she noticed the woman's alert attention. Every once in a while Sharon nodded, but she never asked any questions. Information was entering in, but it wasn't being processed no matter how hard she tried to focus. She suddenly felt like Charlie Brown listening to his teacher. Nothing Morales said was making sense. The only thing she could hope for was that Andrea was retaining information.

"…the worst of his injuries is the concussion sustained to the head and inner ear," a sigh escaped Morales. "Basically, despite his injuries, the seat belt and air bags did their job. Otherwise, we'd most likely be having this conversation in my office rather than here," his expression turned grim.

"How bad is the concussion?" Andrea spoke first.

"We won't really know the full impact for a few days. For tonight we'll monitor him, keep an eye on his condition. If it gets worse, we'll go from there," Morales' voice was soft, yet filled with confidence.

"What about," Sharon tried to remember a point he made but found her voice shaky. "His hearing?"

"Yes, the impact not only caused a parietal fracture but also an inner ear concussion. He may have some hearing loss on the left side," he explained again.

"For how long?" It was Andrea who asked the question.

"Maybe just for a few days, maybe long term. We won't know right away, but the good thing to remember is that he is alive. Torn ACL, broken wrist, fractured ribs, concussion, contusions, fractured nose and lots of cuts and bruises. But he's young and will heal. Most important, he's alive!" Dr. Morales reaffirmed.

"What happens now?" Sharon couldn't take her eyes from the MRI and x-ray on display, but at least her brain seemed to be functioning again.

"We'll monitor him overnight. If all goes well, you can take him home tomorrow, and he'll be on bed rest. No TV, video games, or reading for a few days. He literally needs to rest his brain. Just what a teenage boy wants, hummm?" he smiled at them.

"Oh, he is not going to like that at all," Sharon lightly chuckled as she shook her head.

"I don't think you'll have too much trouble with him when you get him home. The ACL alone is going to make it hard for him to stand for a few days, at least until some of the swelling goes down. With the fractured ribs and broken wrist, well, he's not going to be able to use crutches. So he is effectively getting his wings clipped," Morales explained.

"Ok," Sharon said more as confirmation for herself than anyone. "Ok, it could be worse. He's alive and for the rest, we'll address the issues as they arise," she added.

"That's probably the best way to see it," he agreed. "And Sharon, what happened in there," Morales hesitated, as if trying to find the right words.

"It's alright; I should have known how he'd feel. I was more concerned about being with him and didn't even take his modesty into account," she explained.

"I was telling her before you came out that we're going to have to explain to Rusty that lesbians aren't interested in his boy parts," Andrea added with a slight chuckle.

"That's a good point and odd, don't you think? He didn't have any issue with me being in there," Morales expression grew thoughtful. "Of course I did have to convince him throughout the exam that he wasn't dead!" he chuckled. "Poor boy, I never thought he'd think that just by seeing me!"

"Sharon told me about that, you poor thing! Suddenly being viewed as the Angel of Death," Andrea teased.

"Had I only know when I chose this profession," his smiled belayed the disappointment of his words.

"Excuse me," a woman popped her head into the office. "Dr. Morales, we really need to get this resolved. I need a signature of a responsible person," the woman held a clipboard in front of her.

The doctor sighed as he shook his head, "We resolved this. It's taken care of."

"I'm sorry, doctor, but there is a problem," she added, stepping into the office.

"What's the problem?" Sharon asked her directly.

"It's regarding Russell Beck's medical bills," the woman looked from the papers to Sharon.

"What about Rusty's bills?" Sharon was suddenly alert and ready to step in.

"Dr. Morales asked for some tests for Russell, I mean, Rusty and the state's insurance is not going to pay for the additional tests," the hospital bureaucrat glanced down at the papers.

"I told you they were all necessary," Morales barely veiled his anger.

"If this is about who's paying for the bills, I'll sign it. He's my son," Sharon stood up and moved toward the woman.

Andrea spoke up, putting a hand on Sharon's arm before she could reply, "No. The D.A's office will take care of it. He's a material witness for a homicide trial, and we will cover whatever the state does not." She rifled through her purse. When she found what she was looking for, she pulled it out.

"And who is going to sign these? I just need to know who will sign for the billing," the hospital worker asked.

"Call this number, and it will all be taken care of," Andrea explained as she handed the business card to the woman.

The woman looked at the card suspiciously before glancing at them, "Thank you. I'll give it a call now and get this taken care of." She gave a weak smile before leaving the room.

"Andrea, I don't mind. I could have signed for it, but, thank you," Sharon leaned in to hug her lover.

"Oh, don't thank me. That was Rios' card. She's going to have to do all the paperwork," Andrea gave her a knowing grin.

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer person," Morales chuckled. "Now then, they're getting a room set up for Rusty. Even though some people may want to nickel and dime his care, I've some pull. I'm going to have them set him up in the most private room that we can manage." Morales smiled as he lightly rubbed Sharon's arm in encouragement.

"I can't even begin," Sharon shook her head at the thought of how badly this day could have ended.

"I know, Sharon. We're friends. More importantly, we're family, and I'm going to be treating Rusty as family. Trust me, I'm going to be monitoring him every step of the way, and I won't release him if he's not ready," Morales assured. Without even realizing it, she had followed him from the smaller office to a nearby curtained area. When he parted the curtain, she inhaled deeply when she saw Rusty's unconscious form.

His head was wrapped in new bandaging. A large portion was held firmly against his left ear and covered his left eye completely. She couldn't help but notice the red blood on the dressing around his ear. She reached out as if to touch him, but pulled back as she fought for control. Her eyes began to water at the sight of the blood still clinging to the bandages.

"That's normal drainage. It should stop on its own. We covered his eye just to make sure he didn't move it. I have an appointment already set up tomorrow with the best ophthalmologist in the valley. He'll make sure there is no damage to the eye," Morales explained.

"Why can't someone see him tonight?" Sharon stepped closer to Rusty when she felt more secure that her voice was under control.

"There is too much swelling and bruising right now. It will be better to wait for some of the swelling go down, so that the specialist will be able to take a closer look," Morales responded patiently. Sharon realized he must have already explained this to her.

"Alright," she nodded as she rested her palm on Rusty's shoulder. "Then we wait," she said more to herself than anyone else.

"We'll wait with him all night, honey," Andrea stepped toward her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

As soon as she felt Andrea next to her, a deep sigh escaped her control as she leaned her head against the blonde's shoulder. She closed her eyes even as her lover held her in a close embrace. With soft, soothing tones, Andrea whispered comforting words of assurance.

"Sharon?" Rusty's groggy voice called.

"Yes, honey, I'm here," she spoke softly as she lightly touched his shoulder in hopes that he could feel her.

"I'm so sorry, Sharon," he started up the familiar litany.

"Rusty, it's ok. It wasn't your fault," she lightly brushed aside his long bangs.

"But your car," he mumbled as he closed his eye.

"It's not important Rusty. What matters is that you're going to be alright. That's all we care about," she assured and then realized that he was unconscious again.

As Sharon took in Rusty's battered face, her cell phone began to ring. She quickly turned away and pulled the phone from her purse. At the name on the caller ID, she stepped away from Rusty to answer the call.

"Yes, Andy?" she kept her voice low despite the activity in the emergency room.

"Sharon, I was coming in to check on you and the kid. I think you need to come out here to the reception desk," his voice did little to reveal any further information. When she glanced at Andrea, the blonde smiled and nodded towards her.

"Go ahead, I'll be here in case he wakes up," Andrea whispered as she stepped closer to Rusty's prone form.

"Oh my way," Sharon told Andy even as she made her way through the maze. Nurses and doctors rushed around in carefully choreographed chaos. They moved intently through the ER and disappeared behind curtains where other patients fought for their lives. As soon as she walked through the double doors to the admittance lobby of the ER, she saw Andy standing at the end of the hallway in front of the reception desk. His arms were crossed, head bent as he remained impassive. When she got closer she heard a young man's voice shouting at the nurses.

"I need to see my friend! Rusty Beck was brought here; I've got to see him now!" the teen shouted.

Only when Sharon was close did she take in the full scene. A young teen about Rusty's age stood in front the receptionist. His thick, dark, wavy hair was firmly held in place by gel and twisted in the front in a single swirl. His olive complexion was slightly flushed from yelling. The academy sweat shirt he wore was a direct contrast to the pink pixie pants with black polka-dots and zebra striped slippers. As soon as she was close, the boy suddenly turned toward her. The first thing she noticed was the mascara streaks down his cheeks where his tears ran. Then she saw his light gray eye shadow and glossy pink lips. The moment he noticed her, his eyes held a sheer look of panic.

"Ethan," a tall, Caucasian man behind the teen placed a firm hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Andy?" Sharon looked from her detective to Rusty's friend.

"You should hear this," Andy nodded toward the two.

"Are you Rusty's foster mom, Captain Raydor?" the tall blond man behind the boy stepped toward her.

"Yes," she looked between the two, confusion etched on her features.

"I'm Phillip, and this is my son Ethan," the man said as he shook her hand.

Phillip wore a dark button-down shirt and pleated khaki pants with unassuming black loafers. His hair was short and neatly groomed, and through the unassuming frames of his glasses, she noticed his deep, piercing blue eyes. Phillip glanced between her and his son who nervously shuffled in place.

"Ethan, that is, we've all be very worried about Rusty," Phillip started saying, but was interrupted by his son.

"Please, tell me Rusty is ok. They won't tell me anything!" Ethan swiped at an errant tear that trickled down his cheek.

"I…."

Before Sharon could respond, the teen burst out in a frantic ramble, "It's all my fault! Oh my God, I'm so sorry! This was all my fault! As soon as I saw the accident on the news, I knew it was Rusty, and it was all my fault!" The teens words faltered as he looked between Sharon and his father.

"I couldn't get anything else from him. I thought you'd have better luck," Andy whispered close to her.

"Ethan, what do you mean it's your fault? What did you do?" Sharon felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck as she stepped toward the boy. He looked at her, but quickly dropped his gaze as he shook his head.

"Ethan, were you two drinking, taking anything before he drove?" Sharon instantly felt her captain mode fall into place as she gazed deeply into the boy's dark brown eyes.

"Captain Raydor, my son doesn't drink or take drugs! I don't appreciate the insinuation," Phillip held a protective hand on his son's shoulder. Before she could respond, he turned and coaxed Ethan further, "Go ahead Ethan, explain what you mean."

"I," the teen leaned toward his father as his voice quivered. "I should have asked him to come in, maybe play a video game, or watch a movie, something. I should have," Ethan shook his head as the tears began anew. "If I had only asked, he wouldn't have been there. It wouldn't have happened," Ethan looked at her, the tears falling freely.

Her heart sank when she noticed the boy's grief, and although he had not been in the accident, she knew that he experienced survivor's guilt. "I'm sorry," Sharon gave an apologetic nod to Phillip, in hopes that he would accept this meager atonement. His nod of acceptance happened so quickly before she turned her attention to the teen in front of her.

"Oh, Ethan, honey, no. It wasn't your fault!" She pulled him into her arms. "It was an accident; no one could have known it was going to happen. If anyone is to blame, it's the other driver who hit him," she tried to assure him as she hugged Ethan tightly. Unlike Rusty, he didn't stiffen from her touch. He simply wrapped his arms around her, his shoulders shaking from his tears. Not only did Ethan allow her touch, he seemed to draw comfort from it. "It's alright; Rusty is going to be ok. The accident wasn't your fault," she stated firmly as she pulled away from the boy.

"He's going to be ok, Ethan. He's just going to need time to rest," she assured.

"He's alive then?" Ethan's voice was soft as he looked at her for assurance.

"He is, and he's going to be held overnight for observation. If all goes well, he can come home tomorrow," she explained as she smiled at the boy. She had checked her watch and was surprised that it was still just barely this side of midnight.

"Tomorrow?" Ethan repeated as he wiped the tears from his cheek, further smearing his mascara.

"Yes, but tonight he needs to rest," Sharon explained.

"I explained that to him, Captain," Phillip placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "As you can imagine, he wouldn't rest until we brought him here."

"Phillip?" another man called as he walked toward them.

Although Phillip was tall in her estimation, the newcomer was even taller. Unlike Phillip's neatly groomed hair, the taller man had a wavy shock of auburn hair and a five o'clock shadow. He wore a black tee shirt, faded jeans and worn sneakers.

"Captain Raydor, this is my husband, Matt," Phillip introduced.

"Please, call me Sharon," she extended her hand to Matt.

"Is everything alright? Rusty, he's ok?" Matt asked as he looked between his husband to Sharon.

"He needs to rest tonight and might go home tomorrow," Phillip explained.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Matt released a sigh.

"How did you know?" she asked the men.

"Sharon, it's already made the news," Andy spoke up next to her.

"As soon as the special bulletin broke in Ethan became upset. Once the car was pulled up and Ethan recognized it, well, I guess you can imagine," Matt, the taller of the two smiled weakly as he patted his son's shoulder.

"We didn't think they'd let us in, but he had to know," Phillip added.

"I understand, and thank you for coming. I'm sure Rusty will be happy to know you were here, Ethan. And please, this is not your fault. There is only one person who bears the blame," she tried to reason with the teen.

"We're sorry this happened. Rusty is a great kid, and he's been a fantastic friend to Ethan. We'll let you get back to him, but please do keep in touch with us. Let us know if there is anything we can do," Phillip pulled his business card out and handed it to her.

"Feel free to call or text if you need anything at all. We live close enough that it would be no trouble at all," Matt added.

"Tell Rusty…." Ethan began to say, then stopped as he looked away, his brows creased slightly.

"I will Ethan, and thank you very much," Sharon addressed this to the whole family before they turned to leave.

As she watched them walk away she absently tucked the business card in her back pocket. When she looked up at Andy, he watched the family exiting the sliding doors. A single arched brow was the only indication of his thought process. When he felt her gaze, he looked at her and then shrugged his shoulders.

"Is there like a rule that only good looking guys can be gay?" he whispered.

"Why, Andy, I didn't know you noticed those things?" she teased with a smile.

"I'm straight, Sharon, not blind," he snorted. "Is what you told them the truth? Is Rusty going to be ok?"

"Dr. Morales thinks so. It's bad, Andy, but Rusty is alive. With luck, we can take him home tomorrow," she sighed.

Andy seemed to examine her closely. Apparently assured, he nodded as he reached into his jacket pocket. "That's good to hear, Sharon. We've all been pretty worried," he explained as he handed her another business card.

"What is this?" she glanced at it quickly, barely registering the printed name.

"Some guy was hanging around the murder room waiting to see you. Said he needed to talk to Rusty's guardian. He wouldn't tell us what it was about. We tried to get rid of him, but he wouldn't budge. He finally gave me this card to give to you. He says he has an important matter to discuss with you, something to do with this accident," Andy explained.

When she read the card carefully she shook her head, "A lawyer, really? Rusty hasn't even been moved from the ER, and there's already an ambulance chaser after him?"

"Yeah, well, it takes all kinds," he replied. "I'm sure this guy's firm has been making the rounds. Of course they now have one less to chase," at Andy's words, Sharon glanced at him sharply.

"The best friend of the Senator's daughter. I just got word when I arrived here. She didn't make it," he explained.

"My God," Sharon shook her head and closed her eyes as she imagined what the parents were going through.

"It's not looking good for the driver," Andy sighed, then gave a look as if suddenly remembering something. "Almost forgot, here's some paperwork. If you sign it, I'll turn it in, and you'll be off for however long you need," he said pulling an envelope from his suit pocket.

When she opened it and removed the papers, she noticed the initial heading of the documents. "Family leave?"

"Amy thought of it, but she did run it by Provenza before printing them out and filling in the information. Taylor said it was a good idea since you're not able to work this case with us."

"It's a very good idea. I'll have to thank Amy for her thoughtfulness. To be honest, even if I didn't have to recuse myself, I can't imagine leaving Rusty home when he's going to need help. At least until he's able to get around on his own," she explained as she led him back into the ER. When they parted the curtain to where Rusty lay, a nurse was already on hand preparing him to be moved.

"Oh good, you're back! They were about to move him to a room." Andrea gave Sharon a hug before smiling at Andy, "Andy."

"Andrea, I just brought Sharon some time off papers to sign and to check up on the kid. How's he doing?" he asked as he cast a critical gaze over Rusty's unconscious form.

Thankfully Andrea took the lead and began to explain the extent of Rusty's injuries, as much as she understood them to be. Andy simply listened, a familiar look of concern on his face. Although there was a time when Sharon never would have welcomed his friendship, she had to admit that right now it was nice to have another familiar face. Overall, she realized how much she appreciated the thoughtfulness of her team. Just the simple act of providing her the necessary paperwork eased some of the burden from her own shoulders. Intellectually she knew that it made no sense to think of her crew as family. It was, nonetheless a fact. They were family and like all families she knew that they would be there to help her, just like Morales had been.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Just like when he was out on the trail, Rusty found himself going in and out of consciousness. He remembered being brought to the hospital, but each time he opened his eye, he was disoriented. One minute he was in a bright room surrounded by people. Whenever someone noticed him awake, they gave a reassuring smile before he drifted off again. A few times Morales smiled and spoke softly to him. But Rusty didn't try to think too much about what people were saying because whenever he did, his head pounded horribly. Instead, he relaxed and let them do whatever it was they were doing.

Eventually Rusty drifted into the comforting darkness of unconsciousness. But just when he felt himself drifting away, someone woke him. Under normal circumstances he was anything but pleasant when woken up. But the foul mood that usually erupted was now muted by the hazy fog he found himself in. At one point he woke up and saw ceiling lights flashing overhead.

"Sharon?" he felt a queasiness overcome him.

"I'm here, honey. Rusty, it's ok; they're taking you to a room."

He felt her gentle fingers brushing against his forehead. It was a soft, soothing touch, one he became familiar with whenever he felt sick and she gauged his temperature. When Sharon first showed her concern for his health, he hadn't known how to act. Before Sharon, no one ever cared enough to offer this simple touch. Not even his mom showed him this type of affection or even worried if he was sick. When Rusty didn't feel like going to school he simply didn't go. His mom never cared one way or the other, and most of the time she was too high, drunk, or hung over to even notice. Now, with Sharon, he found her simple touch soothing. He only wished that he could control his instinct to pull away.

"Sharon?" he tried to reach for her, but the pain in his wrist shot up his elbow. He cried out as he winced in pain.

"Oh, honey, please be still. Let the nurses do all the work," she said next to him.

"What happened?" he felt the incessant throbbing in his head each time he tried to remember how he ended up here.

"It wasn't your fault, Rusty. You were in an accident, but you're going to be ok. You're in a hospital; you'll be fine now," Sharon assured as the sounds of voices breezed past them in the corridor.

"Headache," he groaned and tried to move his hand again which brought a pain so bad that it brought tears to his eyes.

"You have a concussion, honey. They'll give you something for it as soon as they settle you into a room."

"Light hurts, everything hurts," he mumbled as he reached up with his left hand and felt the bandages covering his left eye and head.

"Rusty, please. Just lay still. You don't want to pull your IV out." Sharon gently guided his uninjured hand down.

"Sharon?" he tried to focus his sight on where her voice was coming from but gave up and closed his eye. This time the memory of the accident returned, the sounds of bending metal and breaking glass becoming a vivid image. "Sharon, I'm so sorry. Your car," he tried to find her, but closed his eye against the blinding lights in the hospital corridor.

"Don't worry about the car, it's not important. It was an accident, Rusty. It wasn't your fault," Sharon's finger lightly touched his cheek.

"But…." he faltered, unable to find the right words to apologize to her.

"No buts Rusty; none of this was your fault," her words assured before she broke her contact. Even though he felt them turning a corner, the only thought that crossed his mind was that she was no longer with him. Her touch was gone, and maybe she was going away.

"Sharon!" he called out in panic as he was pushed into a dimly lit room.

"Yes, honey, I'm right here," Sharon returned by his side and soothed his fears.

"Don't leave me, please," he mumbled as he tried to reach out for her again, but his hand was gently pushed down to his side.

"I am not going anywhere." Although her promise sounded like a distant echo, he felt a sense of calm. Through the pain and confusion there was a part of him that knew she would always be with him. Comforted by this, he did his best to relax as he felt himself being shoved around.

* * *

><p>As the hospital staff moved Rusty in the room, Sharon glanced around, taking in the second bed that remained empty. True to his promise Morales managed to get Rusty as private a room as was possible on the pediatric ward. Although she wouldn't mind if another person was lodged with her son, it was nice to know that her longtime friend cared so much about Rusty's comfort. With only a single light turned on its lowest setting, to alleviate Rusty's concussion, it was hard to see past the shadows. Despite this she couldn't help but notice the various animated cartoon characters painted on the walls. Before she could examine the murals, Rusty's pain filled voice pulled her attention away.<p>

"Ow, what the hell!" Rusty's familiar voice groaned as they transfer him to the bed. While one attached the monitoring wires, another took his IV and hung it above the bed. With the added jostling, Rusty did very little to contain his fury, even if it was only at half his normal strength.

Sharon noticed Andrea's slight smile and sigh as she watched the nurses settle Rusty in. Andrea leaned in and murmured to her, "At least his snark survived intact. He can't be too bad off if that's in one piece." Sharon nodded, feeling a similar wave of relief at hearing Rusty complain.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, two men dressed in facilities uniforms entered the room carrying an upholstered sofa. They glanced around, noticed an open spot against a wall, and set it down close to Rusty's bed.

As the medical personnel left Rusty's bedside, a short, plump nurse entered the room. Sharon noticed the name Jones on her hospital identification badge. Additionally, she noticed that instead of a white or green uniform that was standard for most nurses, she wore solid brown pants and a top that had cartoon images of monkeys climbing trees. Sharon assumed that this uniform put the children in the ward at ease. Without sparing them a glance, the nurse cast a scowl toward the new furniture. "Did those come from the doctor's lounge?" the African-American's gruff question was aimed at the workers.

One of the men simply shrugged his shoulders in answer to her question. "We just got a call from our boss to bring it in here, so here it is," he said as they filed from the room.

Nurse Jones glanced from the furniture to Sharon and Andrea, appraising them, then looked down at Rusty. "He must be pretty important for the doctors to give up their furniture," she brusquely commented

"He's pretty important to me," Sharon explained with a tremble in her voice as she stood by Rusty's side. When she glanced at Andrea and noticed her worried expression looking Rusty over, Sharon pulled her closer and added, "To us."

"Ahuh." Nurse Jones studied the ladies with a critical eye. She noticed the simple yet stylish jeans, knit top, and jacket of the auburn woman, and the simple skirt and blouse of the blonde. While the first had a nondescript purse, the blonde carried a brown Hermès bag. They both had expensive haircuts and impeccable posture. Even though they were intently focused on the boy and the machines monitoring him their demeanors remained quiet. She had even caught how the auburn-haired woman had reached out to squeeze the arm of the closest facilities worker and nod in thanks while the blonde murmured her own thank you to the other man.

Normally, Nurse Jones wouldn't have given the parents a second thought, preferring to focus on the injured child. So rather than give them an ounce of courtesy she demonstrated tough love, without the love. But these two women seemed different.

Hermès bag not withstanding, Nurse Jones decided that these women weren't some rich socialites expecting preferential treatment who were also willing to throw around money or make a big stink until they got it. She had seen plenty of those in her time. They usually treated the hospital staff like the help and couldn't bother pulling their noses away from their Twitter feeds long enough to show some concern for their children. Besides, if they had been throwing money around, they would have shelled out for a private room, not to mention probably would have been Botoxed up the ying yang. No, she decided these two might be a rare set of parents that she actually didn't hate. Maybe. She'd reserve judgment a little while longer.

Nurse Jones' brows creased as she cast a glance over Rusty. "Still, I've never known doctors to give up their nice furniture so easily. He must really be something," a slight southern drawl laced her words. Without sparing the women another glance, she turned her gaze back down at the instructions on the chart.

"I can hear you," Rusty groused as a pained expression crossed his features.

"Good, so I don't have to wake you up," the nurse spoke directly to him as she double check the wires going into the various monitoring equipment. "Do you know your name?" she asked Rusty.

"Yes. Do you know your name?" Rusty's lips grew into a thin line as he inhaled deeply in a veiled attempt to mask his pain.

"Rusty!" Sharon softly chided.

"Is your son always this sassy?" Nurse Jones glanced at Sharon and Andrea with an arched brow.

"She's not my mother," Rusty groaned. At his words she looked at him with concern, before looking at the two women in confusion.

"I'm his guardian, his foster mother," Sharon added by way of explanation.

"I see." That bit of information took Nurse Jones by surprise and raised her estimation of the two a good bit. She jotted something on the chart after glancing at the monitors. "So you know who you are?"

"Yes. I'm a material witness in a murder trial of a serial killer/rapist. A trial which is never going to end and is going to swallow up my life!" Rusty's voice finished in a frustrated whine.

The nurse's eyebrows shot upwards. She turned to Sharon who just rolled her eyes and nodded in confirmation. The nurse took that in for a moment before continuing on, "Ok, Rusty, how about this question. Do you know what year it is?"

"It's, like, obviously the year that you need to buy a calendar," he hissed through pain.

"Rusty!" both Sharon and Andrea chided by his bedside.

"That's alright. It's good to see a patient with his injuries have so much fight in him. It lets me know that he ain't going nowhere," Nurse Jones explained.

"Duh, like I need you to tell me that? Besides, where would I go? Everything hurts, my head is pounding, and where is that constant droning noise coming from?" he complained as he opened his eye and glanced around, then winched in pain from the diffused light above his shoulder.

"What does the noise sound like?" Without giving them a second glance, the nurse reached into her pocket and removed a syringe.

"That noise! That constant sound, like the inside of a sea shell," Rusty complained as he looked to his left, then yelped in pain from the slight movement.

"Is that normal?" Sharon was the first to ask.

"Oh yeah. Rusty, what you're hearing is normal. It shouldn't be bothering you in a few days," the nurse explained as she inserted the syringe into a small, hand held glass bottle and began to draw the liquid into the syringe. When it was at the right level she removed it from the bottle, dropped the bottle into a pocket in her uniform while simultaneously inserting the needle into the IV line. With the practiced skill of years of service, she released the clear liquid into the tube attached to Rusty's forearm. As if sensing Sharon's curiosity, the nursed glanced her way. "Dr. Morales asked for a morphine drip. It will ease his pain," she explained.

"Is it?" Andrea spoke up, but couldn't finish her sentence. Instead her arm instinctively reached around Sharon's waist. When the nurse glanced at her, Andrea looked down at Rusty with a worried expression. "Dr. Morales explained about the concussion," the blonde added.

The nurse frowned deeply, seemingly annoyed by the question. "Don't worry. We know what we're doing. We'll be monitoring him carefully," the nurse commented dryly. When Andrea quickly apologized for any inadvertent offense, Nurse Jones nodded and gave a small smile. "If I'm on a break, there will always be a nurse within walking distance," she explained, the slight gap in her top teeth suddenly noticeable. She turned her attention back to the patient as she adjusted the drip. "Rusty, can you count back from ten?" she asked her patient.

"What do you think?" came his snide reply.

"Good, sweetie, so why don't you start. Ten, nine," the nurse began the countdown and Rusty quickly followed.

"Eight, seven…six…" was as far as Rusty made it before he released a deep, satisfied sigh.

"We can see everything from the nurse's station, and we'll also be doing regular check ups to make sure everything goes well. We're going to be right here to take care of Rusty, and Doctor Morales is less than five minutes away," the nurse whispered as she looked down at Rusty. His body was no longer tense and his breathing came in a slow, steady cadence.

"Doctor Morales is still in the hospital?" Sharon's surprise laced her words.

"We found him a bed in the physician's room. He's sleeping but gave us instructions to wake him up if anything out of the ordinary happens to Rusty. Your son is in good hands," the woman explained to both Sharon and Andrea. "Nothing we can do except wait," she added as she disposed of the used needle into a nearby red bin hanging on the wall.

"Thank you," Sharon gave a weak smile.

"Sharon?" Rusty's voice startled them. She looked at the nurse in confusion.

"It's alright. This is normal. Trust me, he's not feeling any pain right now," she explained.

"Sharon?" he opened his eye, searching for her.

"I'm here, baby," she lightly brushed her fingertips over his cheek. At her touch, he turned in her direction. For a moment his vision seemed clouded, a look of confusion crossed his features. When he inhaled deeply, she moved closer to him, afraid that he was still in pain.

"Rusty?" she couldn't mask her look of concern.

"My God, Sharon," he sighed as he looked right at her. "I never noticed how beautiful you are!"

Sharon felt her brows shoot up in surprise before looking over at the nurse.

The woman simply smiled. "It's the morphine," she explained. As if attracted by her voice, Rusty turned his head and looked at the nurse, a goofy expression crossed his lips.

"Oh my God, you are so beautiful!" he exclaimed in a slight whisper.

The nurse rolled her eyes and pursed her lips as she looked from Rusty to Sharon, "Mmhmm. See what I mean? If I had a dollar for every person, male and female alike, who said this to me while high on morphine, I'd be on a beach in Jamaica sipping one of those fruity drinks with an umbrella in them while some fine black Island man slathered me with sunscreen." The nurses' deadpan words accompanied a shake of her head.

"Sharon, you aren't going to leave me, are you?" Rusty drowsy words asked.

"No honey, I'm going to be right here, don't you worry," before she even finished her promise, he was already asleep. His breathing came in a slow, steady cadence.

As the nurse turned to leave, Andrea smiled at her, "Thank you so much." The nurse simply nodded before leaving with the clipboard in hand.

"Come on, honey. Sit down; you need to rest. It's not going to help Rusty if you collapse from exhaustion," the blonde spoke softly even as Sharon was adjusting Rusty's blanket.

"Alright," Sharon sighed, suddenly feeling the stress of the day consume her. Before she settled down on the comfortable couch next to Rusty's bed, a small force busted into the room.

"What the hell is going on?" Rios barreled her way into the room, and before either one of them could stop her, she continued unabated. "Does someone want to explain why I've been called out at," she glanced at her watch before returning her attention to them, "two in the morning!" Her exclamation was enough to let them know that Rios was called in before she had a chance to notice the time.

"Shush," both Sharon and Andrea turned to her, beckoning her to silence.

At the sudden outburst, Rusty's unconscious form grew restless. Before Sharon could say anything, Andrea stepped toward her associate. "A material witness was in a car accident tonight, and the hospital needs the paperwork filled out in order to take care of his medical expenses," the blonde explained.

"Accident? What did the delinquent do? Did he steal a car and go on a joy ride?" Emma Rios glanced from Sharon to Rusty's unconscious form. Despite the hostility emanating from her, her face grimaced when she got a good look at Rusty's bruised and battered face.

"Now you listen here!" Sharon stepped protectively in front of her son. Although she thought she and Rios had come to an understanding, there were times like now that made her realize that, when all was said and done, Rios could revert back to her obnoxious self. "Rusty was hurt badly in a car accident, and he doesn't need you raising your voice," Sharon hissed as she raised a threatening finger towards the young D.D.A.

"When I'm called out this early in the morning by my boss to take care of this, I have every…."

Rios didn't get to finish because Sharon stood at her full height and started down at the woman, cutting her off with an icy voice, "Rios, I am very sorry that your plans to get laid were interrupted by Rusty's emergency."

"What? What gives you the idea that I was…." even in the diffused light of the room, Sharon could see the red blush crossing over Rios' face.

"In case you've forgotten, I'm a pretty good detective," Sharon leaned in toward her and whispered harshly. "Besides, your blouse is inside out, and you're missing your bra," Sharon explained the indicators that lead to her conclusion.

Rios' eyes grew large as her arms instantly crossed in front of her chest in an attempt to conceal the evidence of her interrupted date. Before Sharon could continue, Andrea moved in front of her. The blonde D.D.A. took a firm hold of Rios' elbow.

"Rios, outside, now!" Clearly intent on keeping Sharon out of prison for murdering the young D.D.A., Andrea led Rios from the room. As they left, Sharon noticed her lover's apologetic expression as she pushed the young D.D.A. from the room.

With a tired sigh Sharon moved back to stand beside Rusty's bed. The monitors beeped a steady cadence. The IV above his left shoulder dropped the slow trickle of hydration and pain medication. Even though she heard the muffled voices from the hallway, she ignored it as she focused on her son.

"Sharon!" Rusty cried out softly.

"Rusty, it's alright. I'm right here," Sharon lightly touched his shoulder in hopes of soothing him. Despite Morales' assurance, she couldn't help but worry about what long term damage he might have. Of course if she was honest with herself, just looking at Rusty's swollen, battered face caused a sense of dread in her.

"Sharon, you aren't going to leave me, are you? You're not going to give me thirty day notice, are you?" he asked as he tried to reach for her.

"No, honey. I'm not leaving you, and I have no intentions of ever giving you notice," she lightly touched the tips of her fingers on his right hand, careful to not hurt his broken wrist.

"Ok, ok," he grew calm and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he started again. Just when she was ready to offer reassurance, he sighed deeply as his fingers tried to wrap around hers. "Sharon, I'm sorry. Please," he mumbled something incoherent as he grew calm.

Just when she thought he had fallen back asleep, a slight whimper escaped him. "Mom, I didn't mean to get Gary so mad. I'm sorry I hit him. Please, don't leave me at the zoo. I don't know what to do, I…" his tearful plea beckoned. "Mom, please, I don't know how I'm suppose to survive alone. Sharon, I won't ditch the officers again. I'm sorry. I promise I'll be good, I can be good, I won't get into fights at school anymore. Just please, mom, don't leave me," his whispered plea begged.

"Rusty," she lightly touched his forehead, trying to sooth him. His ramblings were going back and forth in time.

"Mom, please, I can be good. I won't fight Gary anymore. He can do…I won't fight him anymore, I promise. Just please, Mom, don't leave me," tears trickled from Rusty's eye.

"Oh, God. Oh my baby," Sharon heard the catch in her voice when she realized what he was saying. She had always suspected the abuse at his mother's and her boyfriend's hands was far worse than Rusty reveled, but since he never talked to her about it, she only had her imagination to draw on. But now, learning the truth, she realized that, although she came across child abuse in her career, having it be so close to home, with her son, was far worse than she thought she could handle. As she took a deep, calming breath, she reached up and wiped away her errant tears.

"You're never going to be alone again, Rusty. I'm not ever going to leave you, and I won't let anyone hurt you, not ever!" her whispered promise came out through her own tears. She lightly touched the side of his cheek, gently wiping the tears away.

Sharon wasn't sure if he heard her or even if he knew who she was. The only thing she hoped was that some part of him knew her promise was good. No, he may not be her biological son, but she was as much his mother as she was to her biological children.

When she heard a noise behind her, she glanced over her shoulder and caught Andrea's sad smile. Her lover stepped beside her and wrapped an arm around Sharon's waist. This simple contact was a comforting embrace.

"Is he alright?" Andrea's voice was a soft whisper.

"He's confused." Sharon shook her head as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Morales said this was normal. He'll likely be a bit confused, but in time he'll heal. Part of it might also be the morphine," Andrea whispered.

"How much did you hear?" Sharon asked her lover. She saw Andrea solemnly study Rusty's face, and for a moment she thought she wouldn't get an answer. Perhaps Andrea hadn't heard Rusty's incoherent pleading. Or if she had, maybe Andrea would realize that being with her and Rusty was more than she could handle. To Sharon's surprise, Andrea gently turned her around so they could face each other.

"Rusty is so lucky to have you as his mom," Andrea tenderly wiped away the last remnants of Sharon's tears, her fingers lightly tracing over the captain's cheek. "I'm so lucky to have you both in my life," Andrea smiled before softly kissing her and pulling her into an embrace.

At her words, Sharon sighed in relief as she buried her face in Andrea's neck. The fierceness that was reserved for the courtroom was felt in her strong arms, and all Sharon could do was allow herself to be held in her comforting embrace.

"We will help Rusty through this. We'll do what it takes to help him recuperate from his injuries." A slight sigh escaped Andrea's control. "And for the rest, Doctor Joe will be there to help him. We aren't going to give up on our boy. We'll be here for him, whatever it takes," she promised.

Although Andrea may not have understood the magnitude of her words, Sharon felt a sudden weight lift from her shoulders. Being a single mother was never easy, and it wasn't ideal. She wouldn't have volunteered to do it again, but once Rusty entered her life, she couldn't image ever making a different decision about taking him in. Now, with Andrea's promise, Sharon knew that this time around she would not be in it alone. With Andrea by her side, they would do whatever was needed to make sure their son healed from both his physical and emotional trauma.

* * *

><p>To be continued...<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

At some point in the early morning, after Sharon had readjusted the blankets over Rusty a dozen times, she relented and joined Andrea on the couch. She told herself that she was close enough to go to Rusty should he call. Besides, she had no intentions of closing her eyes, let alone falling asleep. But all good plans were lost the moment she curled her head into Andrea's shoulder. One minute she was inhaling the familiar scent of her lover, her arm wrapped around Andrea's waist. The next, her eyes drooped closed, and she felt herself drifting into sleep.

Andrea found it easier to stay awake, at least at first. With Sharon's head pillowed against her shoulder, she held her close. Sharon's arm around her waist was a familiar comfort that she had grown to love. With the sounds of the monitors beeping a steady cadence in the room, she gently stroked slow patterns over Sharon's arm, resulting in Sharon's shift in weight. As soon as Andrea felt the change, she glanced down and smiled at her lover's peacefully slumbering features. She gently eased Sharon's glasses from her face before shifting her until her head was pillowed in Andrea's lap. Sharon mumbled slightly but quickly settled back to sleep. With a small smile, Andrea hooked her lover's glasses onto her own blouse, knowing they wouldn't be misplaced.

As she gazed down at Sharon, she felt herself welling up with so much love. They had been dating for almost half a year now, and it still felt new. Every time she saw Sharon in the murder room surrounded by her detectives, a sense of pride filled her. When Sharon glanced her way and smiled, Andrea still felt the butterflies in her stomach, and making love with Sharon was the most exquisite sensation she had ever experienced. She had to admit that the difference between Sharon and her past relationships was that they had started out as friends first.

When they first met, they were simply colleagues. There were a few times Andrea noticed Sharon moving through various LAPD departments in an FID capacity. Sometimes she noticed the captain from afar moving through the halls at a quick pace, her expression one of deep concentration. Once or twice they even shared an elevator, but Andrea was never formally introduced to the auburn beauty until Brenda Lee Johnson's team was under investigation. Even though she wanted to know Sharon better, she got the vibe that the captain was all business, so she acted accordingly. Besides, even though Andrea never denied her preference for women, she wasn't known to pry. As Sharon was standoffish, Andrea felt it best to keep things professional.

If asked, Andrea couldn't say when things between them began to change or even who made the first move. She just knew that after Brenda Lee joined the DA's office and Captain Raydor took over Major Crimes, she was happy to be spending more time with the enigmatic woman. Although a great deal of their interactions were over cases and deals, they quickly bonded over their material witness. And even though Rusty Beck started out to be a royal pain the ass, she could see the captain becoming attached to the boy as if he was her own. Andrea thought it was adorable. The tough no nonsense captain, Darth Raydor to her crew, took an orphan boy in who was somehow managing to melt the heart that the officers swore she didn't have.

As Andrea remembered back to that time, a smile crossed her face. If she found Sharon attractive before, seeing her soft, nurturing side made her all the more alluring. Despite the fact that Andrea didn't know who made the first move, she was glad it happened. Break room coffee chats turned into innocent work lunches that soon became intimate dinners. Wine and giggles over shared stories of their jobs led to mutual respect and fondness. The innocent reaching for the bottle of wine caused their hands to brush one too many times until neither one of them could deny the physical attraction that consumed them. At some point one of their dinners ended with Sharon in her bed.

In the beginning, Sharon never stayed over, instead returning home so that Rusty wouldn't be alone all night. Eventually, when he noticed the time they were spending together, he suggested that Sharon invite Andrea to spend the night. Although it might have taken her a bit longer to extend the invitation, eventually it was made. Now, it was as if their lives had always been like this. Andrea had her own condo, but her weekends were spent with Sharon and Rusty. It wasn't the most ideal situation, but for now it was enough. Knowing what she knew about Jack and having met that unpleasant man, Andrea was content to let Sharon take the lead on where their relationship went.

Throughout their time together, Andrea never asked Sharon about her orientation because it didn't seem to matter. Even though Sharon was separated from her husband, she never mentioned having any relationships during the time of separation. Andrea never knew if this was because Sharon was not one to talk about other people in her life, or because she chose to be alone. Ultimately, it didn't matter if Sharon was bisexual or lesbian. The only thing that mattered was that Sharon loved her. Labels just didn't seem to be a priority in their relationship.

With a tired sigh, Andrea looked up at Rusty's prone form. Since being given morphine, he slept peacefully. The slight moans of pain were silenced by the narcotic. Even when Nurse Jones came in to wake him and ask questions, his normally foul mood was nonexistant. He'd simply answer, his voice too low for Andrea to hear, and then he'd fall back asleep before the nurse even left.

At one point she felt her own eyes begin to close, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but feel herself drifting away. It wasn't until she felt someone standing in front of her that her eyes snapped opened. Through the cloudy haze of sleep, she saw a shadow in front of her. The light from the single lamp caused the shadowy figure to dance in front of her until the sleep left her completely.

Nurse Jones had just laid a blanket over Sharon's sleeping form. When she saw Andrea awake, she opened a blanket for her. "Would you like this over your lap or your shoulders," she whispered so as not to wake Sharon up.

"Thank you," Andrea mouthed as she leaned forward and allowed the nurse to wrap it over her back. When she settled back and pulled the blanket around her arms, the nurse moved to the empty bed in the room and returned with the pillow.

"Here you go, hun. This will at least help so you don't get a kink in your neck," she placed the pillow on the back of the sofa behind Andrea's head.

"Thank you, so much!" Andrea whispered as she settled back, grateful for the new comforts that she hadn't missed before.

"You're very welcome," Nurse Jones patted her shoulder before leaving the room.

With a slight smile Andrea closed her eyes. She wondered if the prickly nurse with a bad bedside manner was prone to showing this kindness to all parents. Or maybe the gruff exterior was just a persona she displayed to the parents she didn't like, since it seemed she loved the children under her care. With a tired yawn Andrea internally shrugged. In the long run, she decided that it really didn't matter.

* * *

><p>Sharon found herself drifting in and out of sleep. Sometimes she woke up to the gentle stroking of her lover's fingers in her hair which lulled her right back to sleep. Once or twice she opened her eyes when she heard Nurse Jones wake Rusty up to ask him questions. Mostly, she just gave in to fatigue and drifted into sweet oblivion. It wasn't until she heard her son calling her that she sat upright, her attention on full alert as she sought out the source of his voice.<p>

In the diffused light of the room the first thing she noticed was the hospital walls, the various cartoon characters remained smiling from their spot on the wall. Before she could contemplate them, she saw the sole occupant of the room in the nearest bed. When she looked to her right Andrea was just waking up, apparently having fallen asleep sitting up. The pillow behind her head was a new addition as was the blanket that Sharon felt over her.

"Sharon?" Rusty's weak voice called to her.

"Yes, Rusty, I'm right here," she moved to stand by his bedside.

"What is this place?" he tried to look around. The bandage wrapped around his head combined with the large section covering his left eye still made him look pitiful. The bruises that covered his face enhanced the injuries he had sustained.

"Rusty, honey, you were in a car accident. It wasn't your fault, and Dr. Morales feels very positive that you'll heal from your injuries," she explained as she lightly traced the back of her knuckles against his cheek, then lightly touched his forehead.

"Morales?" his eye squinted in concentration. "I had a dream that I was, like, in Dante's Inferno, and Morales was the narrator."

Sharon smiled slightly as she nodded in the dark. Before she could say anything, he closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"Sharon, I have to pee," Rusty grimaced as he looked around himself, trying to find a way to move.

"Can you get up?" she was instantly alert, looking at the various wires that were threaded from him, to the monitors by his bed.

"I…." he tried to sit up but instead grimaced and inhaled deeply as a groan of pain escaped his control.

"Ok, just lay still, let me see if we can get some help. I don't want to remove any of their monitors," Sharon explained as she pushed the nurse's call button.

"My head hurts, and there's like, this weird sound on this side," his left hand rose from his side as his fingers pointed to the left side of his head. "How come I can't see out of my left eye. Why does my wrist hurt? And every time I try to move my leg it hurts," he complained nonstop. "God, Sharon, I feel like a dozen line backers piled on top of me," he grumbled as he tried to move, but stifled a cry of pain instead.

"I know, you broke your wrist," she explained.

"Broke my wrist?" His eye opened as he tried to look down at the temporary cast on his right wrist.

"Broken wrist, fractured ribs, ACL injury in your left knee, concussion to your head and ear drum, and we're not sure yet about your left eye," Andrea spoke next to her.

Sharon looked at her lover and gave a grateful smile when Andrea placed her glasses over her eyes, gently tucking them behind her ears. When the room came into clear view she clasped her lover's hand and kissed the back of it before returning her attention to Rusty.

"All of that?" Rusty sounded amazed. "Am I blind on this side?" he indicated the bandage over his left eye.

"They covered your eye as a precaution," Andrea explained as she lighlty touched the top of Rusty's hand in reassurance.

"Andrea? You're here too?" although she spoke earlier, he looked at her in surprise. Sharon was prepared for his lapse in memory, but seeing it first hand was distressing.

"Where else would I be?" Andrea smiled at Rusty as she gave a sideways hug to Sharon. "You got pretty banged up and were out of it. I wasn't going to leave you two here alone."

Rusty gave the closest thing he could give to a smile.

"Did someone call?" a young male nurse walked into the room. When he noticed their surprise he waved away their questions, "Nurse Jones is getting an update from Dr. Morales, so I thought I'd help. Well hello Rusty! So glad to see you awake," the young man was far more cheery than they expected.

"He needs to use the restroom, and I didn't want to remove any of his monitors," Sharon explained.

"Oh, well, that's easy to take care of. Pee or..." the nurse looked directly at Rusty as he asked the question, but Rusty cut him off.

"Pee, dude. I gotta pee," he said.

"Oh, well that's simple!" the nurse smiled as he removed a plastic container that was hanging from the bed rail. "That's what this is for, and if it was an emergency, your mom could have helped you."

"She's not my mom!" the indignation rose from Rusty.

When the nurse looked from Rusty to her, Sharon released a tired sigh and then explained, "I'm his foster mom."

"Oh, ok, well, if it was a real emergency you could still get your foster mom's help. Because when push comes to shove, it's either that, or you're going to end up with a sponge bath later. And trust me, it's not as great as one might think, especially since that task is given to the newly arrived nurse's aids," the young man explained while he was pulling the curtain around Rusty's bed closed to offer the teen privacy.

Sharon and Andrea both stepped back. A part of Sharon felt the familiar stab of sadness at Rusty's words. Intellectually, she understood his objection had more to do with his modesty, but it still hurt every time he vehemently corrected her status to strangers. She couldn't help that in her heart she was his mother. When he wasn't in school, she spent the most of the time with him. She worried about him and did her best to nurture him. Like her older children, there wasn't anything she wouldn't do to protect him, but to him she would never be his mother. Although she knew that she could never replace his mother, nor did she want to, it still stung to know that Rusty would never see her as anything more than just his guardian. She would always be "Sharon" or "Captain Raydor" to him. She would be nothing more than the protector who took him in when he became a material witness in a murder trial.

"Honey," Andrea cupped her chin and forced her to look up.

"It's alright," a familiar catch caught in her throat as she smiled at her lover.

"He loves you," Andrea whispered.

"I know," Sharon smiled weakly.

"Sharon, you know that he loves you, right?" the blonde asked again.

"I know, I know," she waved away Andrea's concern. "I'm just…." but she didn't finish. Nurse Jones walked in with her clip board and glanced at them. She walked purposefully to the drawn curtain and entered its enclosure.

"Hey, don't you, like, knock?" Rusty's groused.

"Trust me, baby, you ain't got nothin' I haven't seen a million times," Nurse Jones remained unruffled as the male nurse began to pull the curtain open.

"He's done," the man smiled at them as he took the plastic container to the adjoining restroom.

"So I see you're doing much better this morning," Nurse Jones glanced down at Rusty, then up at the monitors.

"I've got, like a killer headache and everything hurts when I move. Is that better?" he asked as the male nurse opened a few of the blinds.

"That's normal after your injuries," Nurse Jones explained.

Sharon moved back to his bedside. When Rusty glanced up at her, he squinted as if trying to focus. "What happened to you?" shock laced his words as his face scrunched up as if looking at a grotesque image.

Sharon sighed as she looked from Rusty to Nurse Jones, "I guess no more morphine?"

Nurse Jones chuckled as she hooked up a new bag of fluids, "It's about worn off. Dr. Morales is tapering him off this morning. He's scheduled for some pain relief but it won't be so strong that he won't be able to answer questions. They need him coherent for this morning's tests."

"Oh great, I'm not even at school, and I've still got tests!" Rusty groused.

"Honey, it's not that type of test," Andrea lightly chuckled as she touched his fingertips.

When he glanced at her, his lips curled into a slight frown, "What's up with your hair? What happened to the two of you?"

"I think I liked him better on morphine," Sharon smiled at her lover.

"You try sleeping on a sofa all night and see if your hair survives," Andrea teased the boy.

"Oh, by the way, moms, I brought you these," Nurse Jones turned to them after discarding the empty fluid bag in a bin. She reached into the pocket on her uniform and pulled out two new toothbrushes and sample size tube of toothpaste.

"Thank you!" Andrea gratefully took them as Sharon gave her a grateful smile.

"Most parents who care enough to spend the whole night don't come prepared. I'm assuming you're staying the day?" the nurse asked.

"I had no intentions of leaving," Sharon answered and noticed a grateful smile from Rusty.

"That's fine, I expected you'd stay. The good moms do," the nurse said and quickly cut off Rusty's protest. "Now none of your sass, young man. Any one who spends the night on a sofa by your bedside might as well be your mommas, and these two ladies did just that! Let me tell you, I've had some parents who just call in whenever they get around to it to check on their children. You're lucky to have moms who love you this much." She paused for a moment to see if he'd say anything. He smartly chose to remain quiet, so she changed the subject, "Now then, are you hungry? Do you think you can eat some breakfast?"

At the mention of food a smile crossed his lips. "I am! I mean, I think I can eat," he amended.

"Jason," Nurse Jones looked at the younger nurse.

"Coming right up! I'll get the order going and bring it to you as soon as it arrives," the young nurse smiled as he turned and left the room.

"Thank you so much," Sharon smiled at the older nurse.

"You are very welcome. Now then, if you like, you can use the family restroom out in the hall to your left, over by the waiting room, and Rusty can just sit tight until you two have a chance to pull yourselves together," she instructed, then glanced down at Rusty. "Don't you worry; they'll be back. In the mean time, just relax," she instructed as Sharon and Andrea made their way from his room.

It wasn't until they got into the restroom that Sharon realized how badly she needed this break. The restroom was not the normal community room with an isle of stalls but was instead a single toilet, mirror, sink and a baby changing table. Without even thinking about it, both women entered the facilities together.

As Sharon opened the door, Andrea dove around her calling dibs on the toilet. She didn't even wait for the older woman to finish closing the door before she had her skirt up, panties down, and was sitting down. Sharon was amazed at how fast the blonde maneuvered everything, but then realized it was speed born of desperation.

"Oh, thank God," Andrea murmured, releasing a huge sigh. She glanced over at Sharon and shrugged a shoulder, "I don't think my bladder woke up until Nurse Jones mentioned this bathroom."

Sharon chuckled and looked at herself in the mirror. The first thing she noticed was her disheveled hair and how it was plastered on the right side, the side that was laying on Andrea's lap. With a frown she tried to comb her fingers through her hair, attempting to fluff it up but eventually gave up and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She noticed how pale she looked. Whatever makeup she applied yesterday was gone or smeared. With only a shake of her head, she started the warm water and washed her face, enjoying the sensation against her skin. After, she quickly opened the new toothbrush and paste and brushed her teeth as Andrea finished up. Now feeling more refreshed, she switched places with Andrea.

"Look at that, we're already acting like a married couple!" Andrea chuckled as she washed her face, then glanced down at Sharon. Receiving a raised brow, the blonde returned her attention to the mirror, "We're already sharing a bathroom like it was any other day!"

Sharon gave a slight throaty laugh as she shook her head, "Well I think we've 'shared' enough that this is nothing. Besides, it's easier than one of us standing out in the hallway."

When Sharon returned in front of the mirror, she glanced at her reflection over Andrea's bent back while Andrea finishing brushing her teeth. With a small grimace, Sharon shook her head negatively as Andrea stepped aside, letting her wash her hands.

Andrea's brow arched with concern. "What's the matter honey?" she asked.

"Had I known I wasn't going to go home, I might have brought something other than lipstick," Sharon sighed as she dried her hands then dug through her purse for her favorite lipstick.

"Don't worry about it; you're beautiful!" Andrea smiled as she took a small comb from her purse and ran it through her golden locks. Such a simple act transformed the blonde into the beauty of the courtroom.

"That coming from someone who always looks beautiful," Sharon shook her head, then took Andrea's offered comb and tried to pull it through her thick hair, doing little except straightening up the bed hair on one side.

"Honey, you are always beautiful!" Andrea took the comb from Sharon, forcing her to look at her. At the open love in her eyes, Sharon smiled before their lips touched in a tender kiss.

"I love you!" Sharon admitted, not for the first time.

"Good! Let's keep it that way," Andrea pulled her into a hug, holding her close as her lips lightly kissed the nape of Sharon's neck, then whispered in her ear, "I love you so much, too."

"Ummm," Sharon moaned softly, enjoying the feel of her lover's arms around her.

Although neither one would have contemplated allowing themselves to go further in a public bathroom, the jarring of the door handle pulled them apart. "Come on, lover. Let's go check on our boy," Andrea smiled as she clasped her hand and lead the way from the bathroom. An elderly lady with a crooked back was bent over a walker as she stood patiently outside the door. A startled look of surprise crossed her features as she watched the two women exiting the single bathroom. Like errant school children, they smiled, nodded at the woman, and walked briskly past her, only breaking out in giggles when they were far enough away.

"Oh my God, did you see the look on her face?" Sharon felt mortified, yet amused.

"I know. You'd think we were moaning in ecstasy the way she looked at us!" Andrea commented with a wink.

Before they could laugh about the incident, Sharon saw a familiar figure in front of the nurse's station. Provenza stood in front of a taller, well dressed, middle aged man. Despite the blue balloon announcing "It's a boy!" the detective had full control of the situation and was, in her estimate, holding the man at bay.

"Now you listen here, now is not the time! I explained to your lackey yesterday in our office, you will have to wait until the Captain returns from family leave. Now you take your lackey here and slink on back to whatever hole you crawled out of! Captain Raydor and her ward do not want to be bothered by the likes of you two!" Provenza briskly ordered.

"You don't seem to understand how imperative it is that I speak with Captain Raydor," the man remained unmoving.

"And you don't seem to understand English because I've told you now is not the time," Provenza stated with a sideways grin as if trying to pull his impatience under control. The older detective's eyes remained frozen on the man.

"Lieutenant?" Sharon stepped forward.

"Oh, Captain, not to worry. I'm handling this," he nodded at her before turning back to the man.

"I'm going to go check on Rusty," Andrea's gaze went between her and the men gathered in the area.

"I'll be right along," Sharon acknowledge her lover before turning her attention to the gathering. "Exactly what is going on that it can't wait?"

"Captain Raydor, I'm here on behalf of Anthony and Melody Bradshaw," the well dressed man stepped toward her as he handed her his card. "My firm represents the Bradshaws, and we've been trying to contact the guardian of Russell Beck."

"Bradshaw?" Sharon glanced at the card and noted the firm's name before turning to Provenza.

"Their daughter, Alyssa Bradshaw, was the passenger in the Fiat. The one who passed away at the hospital," the older detective explained with a grim expression.

"Oh," Sharon's eyes grew wide in surprise before a sad frown crossed her lips. "I'm sorry. Please express my condolences to Alyssa's parents," her voice slightly broke as she imagined what she would have been like if Rusty's injuries had been different.

"Thank you, Captain. I will tell them, but I'm really here to see you. When the Bradshaws heard about your foster son's injuries, they instructed our office to transfer their daughter's trust fund to Russell Beck." He began to explain as he turned to his younger associate. The younger man, also dressed in a three piece suit, reached into a briefcase and removed a thick manilla envelope.

"I don't understand," Sharon looked down at the envelope he handed her.

"Alyssa was their only child, as you can imagine they are devastated. But even in their pain the one thing they knew was that they wanted to honor their daughter. As soon as they heard that a foster child was also injured by that driver, they felt this is what Alyssa would want," he explained as he handed her the packet. "The Bradshaws have been successful with several start-up companies and as soon they became pregnant, they set up a trust fund for the child, for Alyssa. I helped set it up myself," there was a catch in his voice as he looked away, pulling himself together. When he looked back at Sharon, she noticed the tears that gathered in his eyes. "Alyssa was my goddaughter," he said by way of explanation.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she reached out and lightly touched his arm in sympathy.

"What's important now is that they honor their daughter. You see, Captain Raydor, Alyssa was an exceptional young woman. When other students celebrated spring break, she volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. In the summers, she worked with the Peace Corps at orphanages. Even here at home, she's been a big sister for a foster child. So you can see, Alyssa was very special."

"Her parents felt that this is what she would want, the trust fund she would have received is now rolled over to Russell Beck. The only question we have for you, Captain Raydor, is that, as his guardian, you will need to work with us so that we can determine a date when Mr. Beck will be able to draw on the funds," he explained as she opened the folder and pulled out the documents.

She quickly glanced over the opening paragraph, not quiet registering it all. As soon as her eyes landed on the amount, she inhaled deeply, the shock slammed down on her like a hammer.

Next to her, Provenza was glancing over her shoulder and audibly gasped when he came to the same figure. "My.…" but he didn't finish his words. Instead he looked from her to the man, his eyes wide in surprise. As if not believing his eyes, the older detective took the documents from her and began to thumb through the pages, glancing over everything.

"Captain, depending on the date you decide, this will not be the final figure. The money is set in a trust that accumulates interest. It can only be removed at the date you specify and paid directly to Mr. Beck. Please, feel free to have your attorney look over the documents, then contact my office so we can set up an appointment," he explained. "And Captain, I am very glad that your foster son will recover," a sad smile crossed his features.

"Thank you, Mister…?" she suddenly realized that she didn't know his name.

"Bryant, Paul Bryant with Clayton, Bryant, Miller, and Brown," he reached out to shake her hand.

"Mr. Bryant," she felt the shock slowly wearing off. "But I...I don't know what to say," she took the envelope from Provenza and held it loosely.

"There is nothing to say, Captain Raydor. This is for Mr. Beck, and it will help grieving parents know that their only child's memory will be honored. Just call my office when you're ready," he explained again before patting her shoulder in sympathy, then nodded to them both and turned to leave with his associate in tow.

"Umm, Captain, are you going to, I mean, will you tell Rusty about this?" Provenza asked as they watched the attorney walking away.

"When I am able to assess the information, I'll talk to Rusty about it. But not before then," she cast Provenza a warning look.

"Don't worry; I won't say anything," he promised.


	8. Chapter 8

Sharon glanced at the envelope again, her mind reeling from the information received. In just a matter of seconds, everything for Rusty had changed. Although on face value it appears for the better, she meant what she told Provenza. Only after she's had time to fully assess the situation would she not only be able to make an informed decision, but also bring it to Rusty.

"I'll say nothing then, Captain." Provenza reassured.

"Say what?" Flynn's voice called their attention as he joined them in front of the nurse's station. She noticed a short Hispanic man wearing a mechanic's uniform standing next to Andy. The stranger held a thirteen inch brown teddy bear in his arms.

"Nothing," Provenza looked with a scowl from Flynn to the man who stood close.

"Alright, alright, no need to get huffy about it. I was just wondering," Flynn held his hands up in surrender toward his friend before turning his attention to Sharon. "Oh, hey, look who I found! Captain, this is Angel Guerrero. He's the one who called 911 when he saw your car going off the road. If it hadn't been for Angel here, no telling how long it would have taken us to find Rusty," Flynn smiled broadly and clapped the smaller man on the shoulder.

In the short time Sharon's thoughts shifted from her encounter with the attorney to the young Hispanic man in front of her. As Andy's words sunk in she realized that she had this man to thank for Rusty's life. If it hadn't been for him, she didn't know how long Rusty would have been down at the bottom of the ravine. Hours or days, the time was critical. The fact that he was found shortly after the accident was the difference between life and death. In that instant her emotions bubbled out of the control, and she pulled the man into a hug, holding him tightly. Her eyes closed tightly to hold her tears at bay.

"Thank you for saving my son's life!" she stated softly before pulling away.

"I only made a phone call," he shyly smiled. When he noticed her looking at the teddy bear, he held it up. "I just wanted to see how the kid was doing and bring him a gift, if it's ok?"

"Oh, I see," she smiled as she gently took Angel by the arm and began to lead him down the corridor. She asked him questions, finding out more about the man who saved her son.

Behind her Provenza hissed at his partner, "You didn't think to tell him how old Rusty was?"

"No. Why? What's the problem?" Andy asked.

"The problem is, he's bringing Rusty a teddy bear! That's the problem," Provenza hissed under his breath.

"Oh, like that's any worse than showing up with an 'It's a boy' balloon?" Flynn waved up at the baby blue ballon that Provenza held.

"It was the only ballon they had, and I thought it was a heck of a lot better than 'It's a girl,' don'tcha think?" Provenza growled as he pulled the balloon closer and trailed behind the Captain and good samaritan, their conversation out of earshot of the two detectives.

* * *

><p>The pain was starting up again, but Rusty wasn't sure what he should complain about, his wrist, chest, leg, or the headache that didn't seem to go away. That annoying sound on his left side was still there, but compared to the rest of his problems, it seemed minor. When he looked at the walls the first thing he saw was a larger than life sponge complete with pants and a eerily smiling face. If that wasn't disturbing enough, the rest of the characters on the wall appeared to be trying to outdue the others' cuteness, which only made them look creepy. To top it off, Rusty was hungry. Before he could begin to feel sorry for himself, Andrea came to stand beside him.<p>

"Sharon?" he asked hopefully.

"She's taking care of something with Provenza," Andrea explained as she lightly touch his shoulder to give reassurance.

"Hey Rusty, can we talk about something serious?" her voice drew his full attention.

"Yeah," he was still trying to get used to seeing with only one eye.

"Do you think maybe you can cool it a bit on telling people that Sharon isn't your mother?" she asked.

"But, like, she isn't," he felt the pounding in his head increasing and just closed his eye as he fought back the pain.

"I know that, and she knows it. She's not trying to replace your mom, Rusty, but sometimes it's hard for her to actually remember that you're not her biological son," she spoke softly as if she knew his head was hurting. "Whenever you mention it, it hurts her feelings," Andrea added.

"Oh God, I don't want to hurt Sharon's feelings!" his eye shot open. "She's been nothing but good to me, Andrea. I never want to hurt her; that's why I get so mad whenever people say she's my mom," he quickly said.

Andrea's brow creased for a moment before asking, "Rusty, why do you get mad?"

"Because, Andrea, like, my mom left me at a zoo just because I finally beat her boyfriend up when I got tired of him…." he found it hard to admit what his mom let her boyfriends do, so instead he looked away from her and sighed. "My mom left me at a zoo. It took me half a day to walk home, and when I got there, everything was gone, the apartment was empty. I only had my backpack because I always take it with me," he explained, careful to avoid Andrea's intense scrutiny. "And then later my mom stole money from my friends. Buzz, Provenza, Andy, they all sent my mom money, and she lied to me. She never planned to come back for me. My mom lied and ditched me. Sharon is not my mom. She's never going to abandon me or steal from my friends. Sharon will never lie to me. Sharon loves me; that's why she's not my mom. She's so much more than my mom ever was," he blurted out. Without anything else to say, he grew quiet. Once again he felt as if he had done something wrong, but wasn't certain what it was. When he felt Andrea gently touching his arm, he peeked at her and relaxed when he saw her smile.

"Rusty, maybe when you're feeling better, you should explain that to her," Andrea suggested.

"Explain what?" Sharon walked into the room with a short Hispanic man. The man looked around the room, noticed the empty bed, then looked back at Rusty. Even with only one good eye, Rusty noticed the man's embarrassed expression as he looked at Sharon.

"Angel, this is my son, Rusty," Sharon guided the man to Rusty's bed. "Rusty, this is Angel Guerrero. He called 911 when he saw the accident you were in. If it wasn't for him, it might have taken longer for us to find you," she explained as the man stepped closer.

Rusty smiled as best as he could. "Thank you," was all he could say before he glanced at the teddy bear in the man's hands. "Dude, is that for me?"

Angel glanced down at the bear in his hands, then at Rusty. "They told me a child was in the car. I thought," he shrugged his shoulders.

Rusty noticed Sharon's smile, and before she could say anything, he tried to reach for the bear, forgetting about his injured wrist. With a yelp, he closed his eyes against the stinging tears of pain. Before he could even pull himself together, he felt the bear being put into his arms. When Rusty opened his eyes he looked down at the stuffed animal even as Sharon used a kleenex to wipe his tears.

"Thanks, dude," he said.

"Rusty, his name is Angel," Sharon gently chided.

"Thank you, Angel. No one's ever given me a stuffed teddy bear before," he explained.

"Really? Never?" Angel seemed amazed.

"No, never," Rusty confirmed.

"Well then, I'm glad I brought it," Angel smiled. "And it's good you're going to be ok," he added as Provenza stepped into the room with the balloon, followed by Flynn.

As the men talked to Rusty, Sharon pulled Andrea to a corner. She handed her the envelope and softly explained the exchange she had in the hallway. Like her own reaction, as soon as Andrea pulled the documents from the envelope and glanced at the figures, her brows shot up.

"I don't want to bring this to his attention until we know all the facts," Sharon whispered as she glanced at the men around Rusty's bed.

"I'll look it over, but we may need Gavin to examine it," Andrea returned the papers into the envelope and glanced over at Rusty's prone form. His bruises were still prominent, and he was pale with a sheen of sweat gathering on his forehead. The exertion to control his pain was taking a toll. Before either woman could say anything, the young Hispanic man began to extract himself from the conversation.

"Well, I'd better get to work. I just wanted to check on you," Angel nodded at Rusty and glanced at Sharon.

"Thank you so much, Angel, for everything. I can't even begin to express how grateful I am for everything you did," she took his hand in hers.

"I'm glad I was there to see it happen. Take care, Rusty," Angel waved as he nodded to everyone and turned to leave.

Only when he was gone did Sharon turn and smiled down at Rusty. "Remember how I've always said you can never have too many angels?" Sharon asked, then wagged her eyebrows and nodded toward the door where Angel left.

"Arggg," Rusty groaned with a smile. "It must be hard always being right."

"Yes, it is at times, but it's my cross to bear," Sharon donned a long suffering expression before leaning down and kissing her son's forehead before pulling away.

"Umm, Lieutenant?" Rusty's confused expression looked from the balloon to Provenza.

"Well I thought it would go along with your teddy bear," the older man said, but at Flynn's muffled laugh, Provenza frowned. "Actually, it was the only balloon they had, and I didn't think you'd appreciate '_It__'__s a girl_,'" he explained as he tied the balloon string to the bed.

"I actually brought you this, kid. I think they'll fit," Flynn stepped forward with a Target bag, handing it to Sharon.

She opened the bag first, then smiled at Andy before removing it to show Rusty. A blue plaid pajama bottoms were in the bag and Rusty was instantly grateful for the gift.

"Thanks!" he smiled at Flynn.

"Yeah, well I remember from my last hospital stay how drafty things can get down there," he nodded toward Rusty's crotch.

"You've been in the hospital before?" he asked Andy.

"Oh yeah, sure, lots of times kid," Andy brushed away the question.

"We've all been in the hospital more times that we probably care to remember. Why, I bet even the Captain has a few tales to tell," Provenza added as he glanced at Sharon. At the silent exchange with Sharon, the older detective nodded. "But now is probably not the time to share," Provenza quickly amended after receiving a sharp look from his captain.

"Will Buzz and Amy be by?" Rusty didn't seem at all phased by Provenza's quick change of topic. Instead, he wondered if the rest of his friends would come by to see him.

"Yeah, later, Rusty. They're working now but said they'd come later in the day. So don't you worry; just follow your doctor's orders and let the Captain baby you. Learn to like it because, once you're back on your feet, you won't be getting the star treatment anymore," Provenza advised.

Rusty turned to Sharon for confirmation. She tried to don her serious expression, one reserved for perps and difficult attorneys. "You better believe him, buster!" she said, but despite her stern expression, he noticed the slight wrinkles around her eyes that always happened when she tried to stifle a smile.

"I will Lieutenant," he promised even as Sharon began to tuck the blankets around him. When a sharp pain shot through his side, he grimaced in pain. Although she didn't intend to hurt him, the feather light touch against his side sent a searing pain into his ribs causing him to groan before closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Sharon apologized.

"It's not…it's just hurting, Sharon," his voice was between a soft whisper and a plea.

Just when Sharon was beginning to worry about Rusty's pain, the male nurse came in carrying a tray. He took the crowd in the room in stride and simply nodded at the two men. With a small smile, the young nurse glanced up at the balloon but remained silent as he set up the breakfast tray. When he saw the teddy bear in Rusty's arms, he shot Sharon a smile but made no mention of it to Rusty.

Andrea, for her part, felt an impulse to take some pictures of Rusty while he held the bear and was snapping away with her cell phone.

"That's not going on Instagram, is it?" Rusty asked with eye closed.

"Maybe," Andrea teased, which caused Rusty to open his eye and glare at her. "Oh don't worry! I'll just send it to Sharon; she can post it if she wants," Andrea's words caused Rusty to turn sharply on Sharon.

"She's teasing," Sharon explained as the tray was set up on a table in front of him. In silence the nurse took a controller by his bed and pressed a button that automatically lifted the back of Rusty's bed. With a hiss through his teeth, Rusty's eye remained closed as he fought down the pain. Once he was in an upright position, the nurse moved the tray closer to the teen.

"Well look at that! And what is our young friend having for breakfast this morning?" Provenza tried to sound excited at the prospects of hospital food.

"Funny you should ask! For starters, some pain pills washed down with milk, followed by a nice bowl of oatmeal. And if you're still hungry, Rusty, some fruit!" the nurse was far more excited about the meal than Rusty appeared to be. The teen gave the food a suspicious glance.

"Oh, oatmeal. It looks good, Rusty," Sharon did her best to build up the appeal of the food.

"No eggs, omelets, or bacon?" he looked at the bowl, then the nurse.

"Well, the funny thing about concussions is that we can never predict if a patient will be able to hold down their food, so we start them off slowly and go from there," the man explained as he picked up a small pill cup that sat on the tray next to the milk. "Dr. Morales prescribed these. They're not as strong as the morphine, but it should do the trick," he explained as he held the cup of pills for Rusty. Rusty held out his left hand to take the pills, mindful of the tubes that were inserted in his arm. As soon as he had the pills in his mouth, the nurse held out the milk with a straw for his charge to drink.

"Let me just check this real quick." The nurse set down the milk and quickly examined the IV's, making certain that Rusty hadn't pulled any out. "Alright, be careful not to move too much or you might pull these out. Now try to eat some breakfast, Rusty," the nurse instructed gently before leaving the room.

"Well, Captain, as riveting as I'm sure it will be to watch Rusty eat his breakfast, it's time for us to get to work. Now you get some rest, young man, and eat your oatmeal!" despite Provenza's gruff words, Rusty smiled at the order. After knowing the men under Sharon's command, he had become accustomed to their humor and even found an appreciation for it.

"You take it easy kid. And Sharon, call me if you need anything," Flynn smiled at her and then nodded at Andrea, "Andrea."

"Thank you, Andy, Lieutenant," Sharon thanked them both.

"Thank you," Andrea silently mouthed as she returned to the sofa to read over the legal papers that Sharon gave her.

As the two men walked from the room Provenza's voice echoed in the corridor. "Why do you always call her that?"

"What? Sharon? Cuz that's her name!" Flynn's protest echoed in the hallway.

With a shake of her head, Sharon returned her attention to her son. He was trying to reach for the spoon, but found himself limited in mobility from the IV. Even the slightest move threatened to pull out the IV tube. To top it off, the movement caused him pain.

"Rusty, let me help you with that," she took the bowl and spoon in hand and mixed it before spooning some for him.

"No, Sharon, I can do it. I'll be careful with this stuff," Rusty indicated the plastic tubes in his arm as he tried to protest. This simple movement brought a wince of pain.

"Fractured ribs are going to hurt too, Rusty. Now just relax and let me help. I've done this for my own kids," she explained as she held the spoon in front of his lips.

"Yeah but, like, they were probably under two, Sharon," Rusty tried to protest, but seeing an opportunity, Sharon managed to get a spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth.

At his surprised expression, she arched a brow as she spooned another portion, "I used to have to trick my kids to eat sometimes, too."

Rusty simply sighed and allowed her to spoon feed him.

"Sharon, this is really awful tasting stuff," he grimaced as he tried to get the food down.

"It's hospital food, it's not suppose to taste good," Andrea absently said even as she was reading over the documents.

"Well they're living up to their standards," he groused as he took another spoonful of oatmeal, grimacing as he ate the cereal.

"Honey?" Flynn's voice called as he walked back into the room.

Sharon looked at him sharply, wondering what he meant. Before she could ask, he saw her look of confusion and took a handful of honey packets to Rusty's tray.

"Honey. Maybe it will make the oatmeal easier to get down," he explained.

"Andy, how wonderful, but where did you find them?" Sharon set the bowl down and began to open the packets, emptying the contents into the oatmeal.

"Funny thing, the nurse's break room has them for their tea," he explained.

"You didn't!" Sharon was almost shocked, afraid that he had helped himself.

"Oh God, no! Sharon, come on, do you think I'd steal from nurses?" he frowned. "I just talked to one of them and not only did I get honey for the kid, but I've got a date for Friday too," he smiled.

"Well, thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty," Sharon smiled as she lightly patted his arm.

"Any time," he casually saluted before turning to leave the room.

"Ok, let's try this now, Rusty," she returned her attention to the teen. She noticed that whatever pills he had been given for the pain were starting to work. Rusty's head was laid back on the pillow, his eye lid slightly drooping, and without any prodding he opened his mouth, waiting for a spoonful of oatmeal.

"It tastes like honey on top of puke," he slurred even though he ate the food.

"I know; just try to eat as much as you can. You need to build up your strength," she smiled down at him.

"Sharon?" he spoke softly in between mouthfuls.

"Yes?"

"You'll never be my mom," his words caused her to momentarily stop.

"I know, Rusty. I would never try to replace your mom. I know you love her very much," she reassured as she fed him another spoonful.

"No, Sharon. You don't understand!" the frustration was evident in his voice. "Sharon, my mom left me alone at the zoo," his eye was closed as he spoke in between spoonfuls.

"I know," she tried to keep the sadness from her voice.

"My mom never tried to protect me. She let her boyfriends hurt me; she let them…." but his words trailed off. Before she could say anything, he continued, "It took me half a day to get back to the apartment. When I got there everything was gone, the door was wide open. I only had my back pack because I always carried it everywhere."

Sharon held the spoon above the bowl, frozen by his words.

"Sharon, my mom lied to me, she stole from my friends, and she chose her loser boyfriends over me," he groggy explained.

"I know Rusty, and I'm so sorry..." she was about to express her sorrow again, but stopped when his eye opened and looked directly at her.

"Sharon, you'll never be my mom because I know that you'll never abandon me anywhere. You won't let anyone hurt me. You'll protect me, I know that, Sharon. You're not my mom. You're so much more than my mom," he softly declared.

In that instant she suddenly realized why he became angry whenever people referred to her as his mom. It had never dawned on her before now that, to him, their references were an insult, and this was why he vehemently fought when anyone suggested it. Now, for the first time, she felt her heart swelling with pride.

"Sharon, you know I love you, right?" Rusty asked.

"I know, Rusty. I love you, too," she smiled at her son.

"Good. Now can I stop eating that awful stuff? It's horrible!" he mumbled as his eye closed. "I'm sleepy."

"Ok, baby. Just rest now," she lightly ran her fingertips through Rusty's bangs before setting the half eaten bowl of oatmeal on the tray.

Behind her she heard the familiar sound of shuffling paper and knew that Andrea was studiously reading through the attorney's papers. Without glancing back at her, Sharon lightly brushed aside a wayward strand of Rusty's bangs as she brushed a single tear from her cheek. Only when an unfamiliar clicking sound came from the hallway did she turn toward the door.

Nurse Jones walked in wearing a gray sweater over her uniform and carrying a purse. She glanced at them, then turned to a person who was following her. "Is this child yours?" she caustically asked.

Andrea glanced up at the new visitors, her brow arched slightly. Sharon immediately recognized Ethan. His dark hair hung in damp curls. His eye shadow was a light dusky gray, and he wore a pinkish shade of lip gloss. Unlike last night, he wore a black crew neck t-shirt with floral patterns under a gray button down oxford shirt that was opened in the front. Additionally, he wore metallic gold skinny jeans and ankle high black suede sneakers. He carried a basket in his arms filled with items.

"Ethan!" Sharon smiled at the teen.

"Hi Captain R!" he smiled and waved at her as he glanced down at Andrea, then looked over at the bed where Rusty laid. He grimaced when he saw Rusty's bruised face.

"I found him wandering down the hallways, poking his head into all the rooms," Nurse Jones cast Ethan a critical gaze, which caused the teen to lower his eyes to the top of his toes, a red hue crossed his cheeks.

"I wanted to see how Rusty was doing," he meekly explained.

"Next time, stop at the nurse's desk and ask where the patient is, will ya?" Nurse Jones said with a long-suffering tone. "That is why we're there, out in the open. Don't need you scaring all the patients and their parents, especially in the Pediatric Ward! They're liable to think you're looking for a baby to steal."

"I'm so sorry, Ma'am. I'll remember that next time," Ethan said contritely.

Nurse Jones looked at Sharon with a smirk, "You sure he belongs to you? This one got all the manners while that one got all the sass." She pointed at each boy in turn.

"Ethan?" Rusty groaned from the bed.

"Hi Rusty," he spoke softly, then looked cautiously at the nurse.

"Well, you might as well go ahead," she waved him to the patient's bed.

"Thank you for finding Rusty's friend. I'm sure it will help," Sharon thanked Nurse Jones.

"Well, I guess there's no harm done. I was just getting off shift when I noticed him sneaking around," she explained as she moved to the sliding table and removed Rusty's food tray. "I don't suppose it hurts the patient to have just one more visitor. You'll take over then?" she looked expectantly at Sharon.

"Of course," Sharon assured.

The nurse cast one last glance at Ethan, before nodded assent. "Well, I'll be off then. If all goes well, I probably won't be seeing Rusty tonight." She spoke directly to Rusty, "You mind your mamma now, you hear?" When his only response was a little smile and the nod of his head, her eyebrows shot up. She quickly smiled and nodded her head to him approvingly. "You all take care, and it was a real pleasure seeing parents who care so much about their child," she smiled and nodded at Andrea and Sharon before leaving with the food tray.

Sharon returned to Rusty's bedside and noticed the basket that now sat where his food tray had been.

"Your fathers know you're here, right?" Sharon made sure to ask.

"Yeah, my dad had to do some work at his office, so I got a ride from him. They both know I'm here," he explained.

Ethan smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders. "I hope you don't mind, Captain R, but I wanted to see how Rusty was doing, and I brought some things for him," he explained.

"Dude, you didn't have to," Rusty tried to look at the items, but gave up and relaxed against his pillow.

"It's ok, I know how miserable you must be. When my dad, Matt, was in the hospital for a concussion and fractured ribs, he was miserable!" Ethan explained.

"Was he in a car accident too?" Sharon asked.

"No, rugby. It happened at a gay game. We had box tickets for some of the best events! Anyway, Pops, Phillip, my other dad, told him not to try it, but he wanted to. So next thing you know he was under a pile of men, knocked out! Took him to the hospital and found out he had a concussion and three fractured ribs. Let me tell you, my dad was not happy, but mostly because Pops wouldn't let him hear the end of it!" Ethan chuckled. "So I know how you're feeling, Rusty, and that's why I brought you these. See?" he pulled out a small bottle of lotion. "The hospital air is going to reek havoc on your skin! This lotion will help," he fished into the basket pulling out another item. When he held it up to show Sharon, he smiled. "A zombie face mask!"

"Face mask?" Rusty tried to focus his one good eye, but gave up.

"The brightness is what caused Dad's headache, so he ended up wearing Pop's face mask until he got his own. I brought you this one, thought you'd like it," Ethan smiled as he leaned forward and fastened the mask over Rusty's eyes, careful to not jostle the bandages around his head.

Sharon suppressed a smile as she looked at the design on the face mask. It was a cartoon of two bloodshot eyes that had white pupils. The majority of the mask was a pale greenish color resembling the image of those zombies seen in Rusty's favorite movies. When Ethan noticed her gaze, he smiled.

"It's a zombie mask, see? Makes it look like Rusty's turned into a zombie," Ethan explained.

"Not quite what we'd want to see in a hospital, is it?" Morales' voice called their attention as he walked into the room.

Unlike in the ER from the night before, the well dressed man wore his own clothes, but over them was a white physician's jacket. After giving Andrea and Sharon a brief hug, he moved to stand by Rusty's bed.

"Now then, are you awake under there," Morales gently lifted the zombie eye mask and was greeted with a glare from Rusty.

"Oh, there you are! Good, I've been told that you had an appetite, which is good," Morales dropped the mask and turned to Sharon and Andrea.

"We've got some tests to run, so we'll have a better idea of what we're dealing with," Morales spoke to everyone in the room. When he saw Ethan's gift basket, he glanced casually at it. "Oh! I love this lotion," he exclaimed as he picked up the small bottle. "It's so good with dry hands." He held the lotion up for Sharon and Andrea to see.

"I know, my dads like it, too. That's why I brought some in for Rusty," Ethan smiled at the support from the doctor.

"Oh, Rusty, you've definitely got to use this. Hospital air can be so drying," Morales affirmed.

"I know, right!" Ethan held his hand out toward Morales as if pleased with the validation.

"Doctor, you were saying about tests?" Sharon stepped forward as she crossed her arms, wondering what concerns he might have. Andrea returned the legal paperwork into its envelope and then placed the documents in her purse before moving to stand beside Sharon.

"Oh yes, tests!" he returned the bottle to the basket and turned toward both women. "We have all of the original tests from his admittance. I want to repeat them and make sure that he's on the path to healing. We're fortunate that one of my esteemed colleagues in pediatric neurology with the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford is in town. He'll be sitting in with me to give his far superior evaluation, and then we can go from there," Morales smiled.

"Are you concerned?" It was Andrea who asked, a brow slightly arched in concern.

"In my opinion, no. Rusty seems to be doing very well, but it doesn't hurt to have an expert to confirm it, hmmm?" he smiled.

"I don't feel like I'm doing well," Rusty moaned.

"You rolled down a hill in a tin can, had a pressurized balloon explode on your face and side, then tried to walk away on your own. Under the circumstance, you're doing well," Morales patted Rusty's shoulder.

"Now then, orderlies will be here to take him away, and I suggest that you two go and get some food. When was the last time you two had anything to eat?" he asked. When Sharon and Andrea glanced at each other, Morales waved theatrically at them, "Lusty Lesbians! I wasn't talking about that! I meant food!"

Rusty released a typical groan, "Please, there are children in the room that don't need to hear that! And I especially don't need to know about that with them!"

Sharon started to giggle, a snort escaping her control after being on the receiving end of Morales' humor. "I was actually trying to remember the last meal we had," Sharon explained as she managed to pull herself together.

"And I suddenly got hungry," just as Andrea said this, her stomach made an audible gurgling noise.

"But I don't want…." Sharon glanced down at Rusty who still wore the zombie face mask. "I'm not leaving Rusty," she stated firmly.

"Sharon, the tests are going to take a few hours, and some of that time he's going to be in a tube. You'll be waiting here in the room anyway, why not go and get something to eat. I'll text you when we're done," Morales voice was low, but insistent.

Just as Sharon was starting to think it over another loud gurgling sound came from Andrea, a deep blush crossed the blonde's features.

"Oh God, Sharon, is that you?" Rusty asked from the bed.

"No, it's me. Sorry," Andrea apologized.

"You two can go, Sharon. It's ok. Just because I can't eat a real meal doesn't mean you shouldn't. Please, listen to Dr. Morales," Rusty encouraged.

She debated with herself for only a short time before lightly clasping his shoulder. "Alright, but we're going to be here when you get back, I promise," she smiled at him, then looked at Ethan. "Have you had breakfast, Ethan?" she asked.

"Ummm, can I come back after the tests, too?" he asked as he looked from Rusty to Sharon.

"What do you think, Rusty? Want a friend to visit with instead of us old ladies?" Sharon asked the teen.

"Hey, speak for yourself!" Andrea protested with a smile.

Under his zombie face mask, Rusty managed a smile, "Sure, but can you bring me something back? Some real food maybe?"

After Sharon glanced at Morales for approval, she lightly clasped Rusty's shoulder, "I'll bring you something, don't worry."

"Great!" Rusty smiled.

A sound caught their attention at the door and they turned to see orderlies entering with a gurney. The two men looked between the group, then waited for Morales' directive.

"Ok Rusty, we'll see you when you get back," Sharon promised before leaning down to place a light kiss on his cheek.

When she walked away and got her purse, she noticed Andrea whispering something to him. She wasn't certain what her lover was saying to the teen, but she wasn't worried. She knew Andrea loved Rusty as much as she did. Sharon was confident Andrea would do anything for the boy, which caused her to love the blonde even more. It was one thing to be her lover and friend, but to voluntarily become another mom for a troubled teen was something that most people would not do.

Sharon waited patiently out of the way as the orderlies transferred Rusty to a gurney. No longer wearing the face mask, once settled in, they began to push him from the room.

"Sharon!" he called out.

"Yes Rusty, we haven't left yet. I promise, we'll be back before your tests are over," she assured as she took his hand.

He glanced at her for only a moment before a smile crossed his lip, "Ok then, don't forget…."

"I know, we'll bring you something to eat," she promised.

He only sighed as he relaxed on the gurney. She followed him from the room, but stayed behind as they gurney was quickly pushed down the hallway. Morales spared them a wave as he kept up with his young patient. Clutching her purse, she turned to Andrea and Ethan.

"Well, shall we go?" she asked, but knew she didn't have to ask because, before the question left her lips, they were both leading the way in the opposite direction of where Rusty was taken. With nothing more to stay around for, she followed them toward the visitor's elevator. Ethan chatted animately as Andrea engaged the teen.


End file.
